


A Royal Pain

by Light_Within



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:48:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 44,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Light_Within/pseuds/Light_Within
Summary: Princess Elena Gilbert struggles against her royal constraints and yearns for a more normal way of life.  When Sergeant Damon Salvatore begins guarding her at night, she finds the allure of freedom in their authentic interactions.  Damon escaped a difficult past and his post in the Royal Guard is his way forward, a way to ensure that his mom and little brother have financial independence from his domineering father.  Who will win this this tug of war between desire and duty, personal and patriotic imperatives, and romantic and familial love?
Relationships: Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank my beta and soul sister, LadyofEndor, for introducing me to Vampire Diaries, providing me with inspiration for writing this story, and helping me shape the plot points. If it were not for our discussion of my first draft, which read like a two-person play, all of the secondary plots would not have crystalized. Also, her timing was impeccable in recommending Vampire Diaries just before the pandemic, providing happiness and light during these changing times. 
> 
> I would like to thank my partner who also served as a beta. Although he has not watched the Vampire Diaries, he listened to my painstaking discussions of the characters, provided input about his understanding of security details, and read every word.

Damon Salvatore scanned the ballroom, looking for possible threats to the princess among the sea of gem-colored dresses. He imagined weapons that might be stored in the ladies’ tiny clutches. He spotted a sequined-encrusted clutch shaped like a swan, and joked to himself, “Must make sure she doesn’t pull a machete out of there.” The only thing he found more ridiculous than the clutches were the fascinators. He noticed a lime-green one that framed a duchess’s face and wondered if her intent was to appear as though a Venus flytrap was devouring her. “Must keep an eye on her for unstable behavior,” he thought, lauding himself for making his security detail at a ladies’ tea party more interesting. He vacillated between scanning the room and fixing his eyes on the English princess, Elena Gilbert, his charge. She wore a simple ivory sheath that accentuated her small frame and olive-colored skin. Her long, dark locks were fastened at the nape of her neck under a matching pillbox hat. Damon suppressed a smirk as he recalled that it took her stylists two hours to make her look all doe-eyed and innocent amidst this sea of gluttony.

Innocence was not a luxury Damon had in life. He recalled seeing Princess Elena on television when he was 12 and she was 6. Brown ringlets framed her face and she clutched a teddy bear as she skipped alongside Prince Jeremiah, King Grayson, and Queen Miranda. Damon stared blankly at the television, trying to ignore the noise of his parents bickering in the background. His 2-year-old brother Stefan played happily on the floor, blissfully unaware of his surroundings. Damon spotted the almost empty bottle of bourbon his father left on the coffee table and decided to experiment by slowly bringing it to his lips. He kept his eyes affixed on the television, a tiny window into a world that was not his own. 

Damon blinked the image away. Princess Elena was on the move and he followed closely behind. Despite their proximity, Damon mused that his dark suit and earpiece made him seem more like an accessory than an actual person accompanying the princess. He liked to think of himself as a tasteful handbag, rather than a bejeweled swan clutch. He wondered if he would spend the next two hours titillated as stylists removed bobby pins from her highness’s perfect hairdo. As they approached the waiting car, Princess Elena abruptly turned and continued down the street. Damon gently brushed his fingers across her elbow, signaling that it was not safe to take a detour. Non-plussed, the princess quickened her pace. Damon’s chest tightened with each step. Princess Elena’s pace slowed and a warm smile broke out. 

“How are you doing?” she said, leaning down to greet a man in tattered clothes sitting on the sidewalk. “Would you like something to eat?” 

Damon’s blue eyes widened in surprise. He switched his signal from a light brush to a firm grip on the princess’s elbow. She locked eyes with him, then defiantly turned and opened the door to a local pub, gesturing that the man should enter first. 

“Shit,” Damon cursed internally as he followed her inside. “Ric is going to kill me.”

Damon could hear Alaric’s words ringing in his head.

“I had to call in some major favors to get you this assignment despite your past. Don’t fuck it up,” he had said. 

Damon met Alaric his first year in the Armed Forces and the then-sergeant rode him hard. Alaric ensured that Damon kept busy, volunteering him up for extra responsibilities that often lasted late into the evening. Damon told himself that he stopped drinking and instigating fights because Alaric exhausted him with his long list of demands. But, if he was being honest with himself, it was because Alaric was the first person who truly saw him. When Alaric transferred to the Royal Guard and was promoted to shift commander, Damon followed to serve under him. 

* * *

Elena stood ramrod straight with a polite smile affixed to her lips. As she engaged in banal pleasantries, she watched the clock. Fifteen more minutes . . . ten . . . five . . . one . . . She turned to leave. As she exited, she sucked in the cool, March air and truly exhaled for the first time in two hours. She craned her neck and scanned the street. “Is he still there?” she wondered. She had seen a man sitting outside a pub on her drive to the event, looking cold and uncomfortable. If her Aunt Jenna was here, she would offer him a meal. Elena started off in that direction, quickening her pace when she saw him. 

She felt the brush of fingers against her elbow, signaling her return. It was a sign that she knew well. When she was 4, it meant, “Don’t join the kids at the other end of the park as they rolled down the hill and rejoiced in getting grass stains all over their clothes.” When she was 14, it meant, “Don’t talk to the boy with welcoming eyes who smiled from across the room.” And, now, at 24, it seemed to signal, “Wear blinders to the suffering of others.” When the man sitting on the sidewalk confirmed that he would appreciate a meal and some company, Elena felt a pinch on her arm. Her new security guard had clamped onto her elbow. Elena looked him straight in the eye, then continued into the pub. It was about time she got some grass stains on her proper, white frock. 

***

Lorenzo “Enzo” St. John exercised great care in ensuring that the princess’s security team would not see him. He raised the blinds just a centimeter while he snapped photographs of the princess. He watched as she passed her awaiting vehicle and hurried down the street. He marveled at his luck. Now, he would have a whole block to capture the princess’s every move. 

As Princess Elena opened the door to the pub, Enzo changed the focus of the camera to take close-ups. He studied Damon’s face through the lens. They had similar features, both tall, with dark hair, and broad shoulders. The key differences were Enzo’s closely trimmed facial hair and brown eyes. 

“It should be me there with her,” Enzo thought to himself. 

***

Later that evening, Elena sighed as she removes her heels, alone at last in her bedroom. 

“At least as close to being alone as I’ll ever get,” she mused. Her eyes darted to the door of the attached seating area, where her new security attaché stood guard. A heaviness settled over her chest as she wondered what it would feel like to live without public scrutiny and to choose her own career. Images flashed through her mind of joining the UN and moving to Africa. When she realized that she was daydreaming, she abruptly called to mind her mantra: “I am so blessed. I can use my privilege for good. I have so much to feel happy about.” 

Elena yanked the bobby pins out of her hair with unnecessary force, threw on a nightgown, and looked longingly at the jeans in her closet. She wanted to collapse into bed, feeling the fatigue in her body. She hesitated, glancing once more at the door to the adjoining seating area. As a child, she used to offer toys and food to their security detail. But her father would remind her, “Just let them do their work honey. Don’t distract them.” This divide had served her well today because she did not want to feel constrained by security concerns. Yet, she also realized that this was not the easiest first day on the job for her new security guard. 

“I’m not sorry,” she grumbled to herself. She felt a flash of anger that engaging in an impromptu act of kindness made her feel guilty, and turned toward her bed. She hesitated, moved back to the door, and slowly turned the handle. 

***

As Damon settled in for the late-night part of his shift, he mulled over the princess’s behavior. Surely, she could not think that feeding one person was going to have any lasting impact on world hunger. Hell, his family had gone without dinner frequently. Damon would stock up on crackers and other food from the school cafeteria and feed the bulk of his spoils to Stefan. If royalty really gave a damn, they would spearhead meaningful reforms. “Maybe she was bolstering her public image,” Damon wondered, recalling the blindingflashes from the photographers. 

The bedroom door swung open, interrupting Damon’s revere. He stood up taller and affixed a blank stare on his face. 

“Hi there,” he heard a quiet voice say. 

Damon turned to see the princess in a modest, white nightgown. Her face was clean of makeup and her straight hair hung down to the middle of her back. She looked more beautiful, and authentic, than she had before. 

“Uh, hi,” Damon responded, a little surprised that she was addressing him. 

Damon quickly reviewed Alaric’s guidance on this post: He should blend into the background so that the princess could continue with her daily activities unencumbered. He should maintain a strictly professional demeanor, but also be friendly. 

“I know I did not make your first day easy on you, but I wanted to thank you for your flexibility,” Elena offered.

Before Damon could monitor his facial expressions, one of his eyebrows shot up. He wondered where this was coming from because he had been in her presence for six hours and she had spent most of that time staring right through him. He wanted to say, “Well, next time, you could just tell me about your intentions. My job would be much easier if we didn’t both pretend that I was invisible.”

Instead he bowed slightly and responded, “Happy to be of service, Your Highness.”

“Please call me Elena and please don’t bow,” she said. “May I call you Damon?”

“Sure,” Damon nodded in agreement, still confused by this conversation.

“I feel bad about you standing for so many hours. Please sit down and feel free to watch the telly,” Elena offered.

Damon knew he would do nothing of the sort. He wondered for a moment whether he looked like a homeless man in need of rescuing.

He replied, “I’m perfectly comfortable Your High --- Elena, but thank you for your concern.” 

Just as quickly as she had come, Elena disappeared back into her room. Damon developed a new hypothesis about the princess. “Maybe she’s just that naïve . . .”

Damon spent the next couple of hours quelling his boredom by comparing his salary to the value of the decorative objects in the sitting room. He concluded that the drapes and throw pillows probably would cover a full year of his mother’s rent. The chaise lounge would pay for all of Stefan’s college bills. Meanwhile, it had taken him about 40 months of saving just to make a dent in those bills. 

The silence was interrupted by a cry. 

Damon dashed into the bedroom suite, his hand on the grip of his gun. He scanned the room for intruders or signs of intruders, but nothing was out of order. He ran to Elena’s bed, prepared to evacuate her. It was then that he noticed that she was crying out in her sleep. Damon’s body relaxed. He had read about Elena’s sleep problems in her file, but he did not realize that the nightmares were so intense. He released his hand from his gun and let out a long exhale.

***

As Elena drifted off to sleep, an uneasy feeling overcame her. She was being hunted and ran for her life. Spectators watched as she attempted to escape. She shouted to the crowds for help, but they snapped pictures and rooted her on. Elena started to feel safer as a handsome man came into focus. Short, black hair framed his blue eyes and pale skin. He was trying to tell her something. 

“Wake up, Elena,” he said. “You’re having a bad dream.”

Elena glanced around to see her own bedroom. She noticed that her fingers dug into Damon’s shoulders while her gaze focused intently on his. She immediately moved her hands and glanced away, feeling embarrassed. 

“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” Damon asked. He ended the questions with a silent joke to himself, “Do you want a glass of water and a bedtime song?”

“No, err, I’m fine,” Elena said. 

She gestured over to the pill bottles by her nightstand. 

“I have some trouble with insomnia and nightmares. The medical staff is adjusting my medication to find the right prescription for me,” she explained. 

Damon nodded in understanding. He probably already had been briefed about her sleep difficulties. 

As he closed the door to the seating area, darkness engulfed Elena once again and she felt completely alone. Not feeling sleepy anymore, Elena sighed and turned on the light. It looked as though this was going to be another sleepless night. 

She repeated her mantra, “I am so blessed.” 

*** 

Damon steadied himself for his weekly check-in with Alaric. Alaric leaned back in his chair, threw his feet on his desk, and crossed his fingers behind his head. 

His hazel eyes glinted and he smiled as he said, “So, you lost the princess on your first day.”

“I didn’t lose her. You just neglected to tell me that our princess was an aspiring Robin Hood,” he quipped back. 

“Well, now you know. You need to start predicting her every move and mapping out your security plan in advance. No more surprises. It could help if you befriend her,” he suggested.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. You know I’m proud of you.”

Damon nodded awkwardly, unsure what to do with the praise.


	2. Chapter 2

As Damon drove to work the following day, he called Stefan to equally encourage him in his studies at Cambridge and to rile him up. After teasing Stefan about how he was studying too much to ever get laid, Stefan asked Damon about his new job.

“I’m living out my teenage fantasies,” Damon quipped. “First a ladies’ tea party, and now I get to go to a royal ball. I hope my Camaro doesn’t turn into a pumpkin.” 

A quarter of the way into his shift, Damon had learned more than he ever cared to about primping. Apparently, Elena’s eyelashes, hair, and nails would be fake this evening. She already had a thick mop of hair and long eyelashes, so the process seemed redundant. Elena emerged wearing a floor-length, sapphire ballgown. The skirts billowed, but the top and capped sleeves clung tightly to her body. Her straight, brunette locks were curled and piled on top of her head. Despite the regalia, Damon saw the same trapped look in her eyes from the night before, almost as though she was drowning in that ballgown. Damon wracked his brain for a wiseass comment he could make to himself about the stupidity of royal balls, but his mind went blank. Elena noticed his lingering gaze and smiled at him. 

As the ball got underway, Elena was greeted by Duke Matthew Donavan. Damon thought about the jokes he would tell Stefan about how Elena swooned when her dashing Prince Charming arrived. Yet, when he examined her eyes, he noticed that the duke’s presence did not make her feel anymore at ease. 

About halfway through the ball, Elena and Matthew snuck out to a private balcony. Damon positioned himself just outside the open door, close enough that he could pounce on any intruders if needed, but far enough away to give her some privacy. He could hear their faint voices. 

“I need more time Matt,” Elena said.

“Of course,” Matthew replied.

“I just feel so overwhelmed when planning for the future,” Elena explained.

“We’ve been through so much together,” Matthew replied. “Not that much will change if we get engaged.”

Damon could have easily drowned out the faint voices by focusing elsewhere, but his interest was piqued. He waited to hear Elena’s response, but none came.

“You’re overthinking it,” Matthew said. “Marriage is the logical next step for us.”

Damon had to suppress a smile. Surely if he were the one talking about marriage with someone, he would mention a little thing called love. 

“Don’t you want to do the unexpected sometimes? I don’t understand why we can’t just move in together.” 

“I don’t want to feed the rumor mill,” he said. 

“We’ve dated for six years. How could people still consider that scandalous?” 

“We have to be examples,” Matthew reminded her.

“I just want us to do what’s right for us.”

“A more traditional path is right for us.”

“I wish I was as sure of everything as you are.”

Damon pondered how Elena seemed pretty darn sure that she was not ready to marry the duke. Why couldn’t she be more confident in her own opinion? So long as it did not affect her safety, it was not his problem. 

***

Damon soon found himself back in the sitting room for the last part of his shift, but did not need to busy himself by guessing the value of the adornments tonight. 

“How about pretending like we’re living together now?” Matthew purred from the other side of the door. 

Giggles ensued, followed by some moans, reminders to be quiet, and the telltale creek of Elena’s bed. Damon wondered if he should walk away, but remembered Alaric’s clear instructions: “Always stay within ear shot. It doesn’t matter if she’s in the bathroom, sleeping, or otherwise indisposed,” he had said, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis on that last point. Damon reasoned that he needed to listen for danger, including the unlikely event that Matthew hurt her. 

“Oh, shit,” Damon thought. “They better not be into BDSM.” If Elena started moaning and calling for help, he would probably have to rush in there. If she was tied up and play acting, then what the hell was he supposed to do? Well, he could think about a thing or two he wanted to do to her after he shooed Matthew out of the room . . . 

“Don’t even think about that! Focus, dammit!” Damon told himself. He spent the rest of the night wondering how one was supposed to keep a “professional distance” in this situation.

*** 

“Take a look at this,” Alaric demanded, leaning over his desk and sliding a file across it. Damon glanced down at a pile of pictures, hesitating before touching them.

“You can pick them up. These are copies. We already dusted the original for prints,” Alaric clarified.

Damon glanced through the thick stack of photographs, showing Elena’s every step from the time she arrived at the tea party days earlier until the time she left the pub. His brow furrowed as he flipped through the photos. Generally, the element of surprise played in their favor with impromptu stops. If nobody else knew about the plans, it was less likely that a security incident would occur. However, if someone was watching the princess this closely, any vulnerability could be exploited. The last page contained a type-written note:

My Dearest Elena,

I await the day when I will no longer be admiring you from afar.

All my love,

Your Secret Admirer

“I thought all the surrounding buildings were clear,” Damon said, his consternation building.

“They were. You see that white line at the top and bottom of those photographs,” Alaric said, pointing to the areas. “Those are the blinds. Our team was scanning for threats, but did not pick up on the small movement of the blinds.”

“That’s pretty advanced technology,” Damon commented.

“It gets worse,” Alaric commented. “Judging from the camera angle, it was likely shot from one of four flats in a building across the street. The residents in three of the flats denied any unusual activity on that day and their background checks came back clean. The fourth flat was vacant. We found some small scratches on the front door, indicating some quick and clean lock picking. Not a print to be found inside the flat. Of course, the letter and photos came up clean as well.”

“This isn’t some heart-sick fool,” Damon commented. “This person knows what they’re doing.”

“Exactly.” 

“Do you need me to follow any leads?”

“No, I’ve got a team working on it around the clock. I need you to make sure the princess doesn’t take anymore unannounced detours during your shift.”

Damon arched his eyebrows and shot a look that said, “And how the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Look,” Alaric sighed, planting his feet on the floor and leaning forward. “It can help if you get to know her a little better. Build some rapport. Maybe she’ll be willing to tell you about these little detours in advance.”

“And what about professional distance?” Damon replied. Images of Elena’s doe eyes and soft moans had started to fill his head when he sought a little after-work release. “I’m already seeing her in her nightgown and practically tucking her in when she has bad dreams. I’m not exactly sure where to draw that line... ” Damon trailed off uncomfortably, shifting in his seat.

Alaric smiled knowingly. “It can be hard sometimes. All security personnel handle it differently. Some barely talk to the principal. Others become best friends behind-the-scenes. The important question is, ‘Do your actions further the mission?’ Make sure whatever closeness you share is to build rapport and not for your own personal benefit.” Alaric paused then said, “As for her little dalliance with the good duke, I recommend plenty of cold showers. It’s just part of the job.” 

Alaric laughed as Damon glared at him. 

***

His second week of work, Damon started to fall into a routine. Sometime between 1 and 3 a.m., the soft light of Elena’s bedside lamp would spill out under the doorway. He could hear her movements through the door. He heard her shuffle to the bathroom, back to bed, pull books off the shelf, and rummage around in her bedside drawer. 

After a blissfully uneventful week, the door creaked open and Elena’s head popped out. Her hair was messy, probably from tossing and turning in bed. It made her look more approachable. 

“Um, Damon?” she said tentatively.

Damon looked at her and smiled warmly. He remembered Alaric’s advice and did not try to affix a blank stare this time. 

“Trouble sleeping again?” he asked.

“Yes,” Elena replied, meeting his eyes, then glancing downward. She traced the wood patterns on the door with her fingertip. “I was wondering . . . I mean, you have to be awake anyway . . . I’m a little tired of playing solitaire . . . I would love to play parcheesi . . . And since you’re stuck here looking after me anyway, maybe we could do that instead?” She looked up expectantly.

Damon wondered, “Is she oblivious to the fact that she is drop-dead gorgeous and hard to say ‘no’ to?” He recalled her boyfriend’s more formal treatment of her and her unease made a little more sense. 

“Only if you’re prepared to be soundly walloped,” he retorted. 

***

An hour later, Elena laughed as Damon beat her a second time. 

“If you don’t let me win once, I’m going to make you go stand in the seating area again,” she teased. 

Elena was curled up in an armchair, her feet tucked under her. Her long nightgown billowed around her, the thick fabric hiding her form with only her hands, neck, and face visible. She turned her cheek closer to the fireplace and shadows from the fire danced across it. 

“You would deprive me of my right to play board games on the job? You truly are a heartless leader,” Damon retorted. 

Elena laughed, then fell silent. She turned to stare at the fire, her facial features becoming more somber. 

“Damon,” she started hesitantly, looking back at him. “When it’s quiet and you’re alone in the middle of the night, do you ever feel like something is . . . missing?”

“Yes, a king-sized bed in your parlor so I can go to sleep,” Damon quipped.

Elena’s searched his eyes for deeper meaning. Damon sighed.

“You know Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?” he said. 

Elena nodded. 

“Well, I’m here at the bottom, trying to get my basic needs met,” Damon gestured downward. 

“Down here, survival is my sole focus. There may be emptiness on a soul-purpose level, but I can’t be bothered with it. You, Elena, are up here at the pinnacle,” he gestured further up. “You have the luxury of pursuing self-actualization and you probably confront that empty feeling more than the rest of us.”

Elena looked away. 

“You’re right. I’m so blessed in so many ways,” she said without feeling.

Damon pondered for a moment. 

“I guess it’s hard even at the top,” Damon mused. “I mean, we’re all just slugging along, trying to figure out what to do with this ‘one wild and precious life.’ ”

Elena smiled. 

“I love Mary Oliver’s poems! That quote is one of my favorites,” she said.

Damon smiled in return.

Elena paused for a moment, then asked, “What do you mean when you say you’ve just been trying to survive?”

“You know the typical sob story,” Damon replied. “A child born and raised in Westminster. A dad who struggled with his love of the bottle. A mum who left with her two sons, receiving inconsistent child support payments. So, what’s the oldest son to do but join the Armed Forces and help out the family?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Elena replied, a little too quickly.

Damon’s nostrils flared. He didn’t need pity, not from her or anyone else.

Elena noticed his reaction and clarified, “I’m not trying to be trite. Kids deserve to be children and to not take on adult worries. We as a society have to do better. I want to advocate for policy reforms. I think I’ll have more influence once Jeremy becomes king.” 

“So, you’re just going to wave a magic scepter and all will be right with the world?” Damon challenged.

Elena reached forward and placed her hand on Damon’s forearm. He locked eyes with her. 

“Damon, I know it’s not enough. Grandiose talk of policy reforms. Small actions to help people I meet. It’s just a drop in the bucket. But, if I can’t use all this privilege for a purpose, then what good am I?” 

Damon nodded. His facial expression relaxed. 

“And now you’re going to start talking about the starfish parable?” he prodded, the twinkle back in his eyes.

“You guessed it,” Elena retorted with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena watched her pasta twirl around on her fork, but did not bring it to her lips. Her Aunt Jenna was treating her to lunch at her favorite Italian restaurant, the River Café, but she did not have her usual appetite. Jenna Sommers was astute and her hazel eyes carefully watched Elena’s ministrations. 

“Just spit it out,” Jenna deadpanned. Jenna’s blonde hair hung around her shoulders, the light picking up on her red and light brown highlights.

Elena glanced at Tyler, who was standing by a column nearby. She careful chose her words.

“I had this great conversation with this man yesterday and I found myself attracted to him. Shouldn’t I be fancying Matt instead?”

“You’re human, honey. You’re allowed to be attracted to people other than your boyfriend. Maybe you’re just being hard on yourself because Matt wants to talk about marriage and you’re not ready.”

“Maybe.”

“So, what was so great about your conversation with this other bloke?” Jenna asked. 

Elena knew that Jenna was not asking for a name because she expected a full report by text later. She appreciated Jenna’s discreteness when they could be overheard.

“He just seemed so authentic,” Elena said. “If he did not agree with what I said, he told me his opinion without much of a filter.” 

“That’s rare,” Jenna agreed. “Most people kowtow to you.”

“He also struck me as very intelligent, but modest. He talked about philosophy, poetry, and parables as a way to clarify a point, not to boast his knowledge.”

Jenna’s mouth fell open. 

“Please tell me that he’s not very good looking.”

Elena laughed.

“Let’s see. He’s tall and muscular with dark hair and light eyes. He’s obviously homely.”

“Well, I can solve your problem for you. Go marry Matt and set me up with this mystery man,” Jenna said with a laugh. 

Jenna examined Elena’s flushed cheeks.

“He really got to you,” she observed.

“I just felt excited to be with him. I should feel that excited about Matt. What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Matt’s a good bloke. But, part of romantic love is outside of our control.”

“I do love Matt. I know that I do.”

Elena recalled how Matt would stay by her side at public events when they were teenagers. He had caught whiff of Elena’s nerves in large, public gatherings and was extra attentive to help calm her. Isn’t that what love is?

As if reading her mind, Jenna clarified, “There’s a difference between loving someone and being in love with them. Are you in love with Matt?”

“Sometimes, I feel so certain that I’m in love with him. Other times, I’m not so sure. I keep going around in circles. I think it’s because he’s my first love. I can’t compare it to anything else.”

“Then, you’re not in love with him,” Jenna concluded. “You shouldn’t need point of comparison to feel certain.”

“What about the novelty factor? It’s easier to feel excited about a stranger than someone I’ve known for years, right? It’s not Matt’s fault that we’ve practically known each other our whole lives and we did not get to have an exciting first encounter.”

Jenna’s eyes probed Elena’s. Elena saw that Jenna’s initial reaction was to challenge her further, but her gaze softened.

“Maybe you’re right. There’s no need to rush any decisions. Just promise me you will not get engaged until you feel excited about the idea of marrying Matt. You should feel excited about getting engaged.”

“I promise,” Elena agreed.

***

Jeremy flung open the door to Elena’s room and strode in. His dark brown eyes looked intently at Elena and his brown hair stood on end, as if he had been running his fingers through it in frustration.

“What’s gotten into you Jer?” Elena asked. Her make-up artist was working on her look for the upcoming royal parade. “Vicki, can you give us a moment?” she asked.

Vicki joined Tyler in the salon. Jeremy closed the door and thrust his cellphone in her face.

“Look at this!” Jeremy commanded, in a low tone so they could not be easily overheard.

Elena glanced down and saw an e-mail on the screen. She read out loud, “If you love your sister, you’ll get rid of her new bodyguard.”

“Didn’t you just have a new person start two weeks ago?” Jeremy asked.

“Yes. His name is Damon.”

“Then, we need to move him. I’m not having him anywhere near you until we find out what this is all about.”

“Jer, this is ridiculous. Just give this e-mail to the security team so they can figure out how some unhinged person got your e-mail address.”

“Of course I’m giving it to security! But, I’m not going to wait for their wheels to turn before I take action. Let’s find Damon some desk job until this all clears up.”

“We can’t do that! That would be a demotion and it seems he’s worked hard for this job. He hasn’t had the easiest upbringing.”

“So he has a troubled past? That’s even more reason to get him away from you.”

“No! You’re too quick to judge. Damon and I talked last night and he seems good and kind.”

Jeremy’s eyebrows shot up.

“You talked last night? Here, in your bedroom?” Jeremy asked, with an edge to his voice. “How do you know he’s not trying to make a move on you. Maybe that’s part of what this warning is about.”

“No! It’s not like that,” Elena clarified. “We just played board games. I was having insomnia.”

“You played board games with your bodyguard in the middle of the night. What the hell, Elena!”

“Like you can talk Jer. I didn’t give you a hard time about Anna,” Elena exclaimed. 

She recalled how Jeremy had grown close to Annabelle in recent months, one of the sous chefs from the kitchen. 

“This isn’t the same thing. I haven’t gotten any information about Anna being a possible threat!”

“You don’t have any information about Damon being a possible threat either! If we get reliable evidence, fine. But, until then, stop being so overprotective.”

“Fine,” Jeremy concluded, leaving the room just as abruptly as he had entered it.

***

By late afternoon, Elena found herself the center of attention at the royal parade. “I feel like a Maneki-neko doll,” she thought as she waved rhythmically, a fake smile plastered to her face.

She spent part of the parade walking behind her vehicle to greet the crowds. Pretending to glance back at the spectators, she peeked at 

Damon’s facial expressions. Although he tried to wear the expressionless mask of a security guard, it often slipped, revealing his true emotions. Elena noted how his eyebrows would periodically raise and his eye would widen as if to say, “Really, people?” His face seemed to be a running commentary on the ridiculousness of this pomp and circumstances. Elena took comfort in the fact that someone could subtly express this opinion, even if it could not be her. Having seen the budget for this event, Elena thought the money would be better spent on food pantries, educational programming, or domestic violence shelters. Maybe she could scale back on the annual parade when Jeremy becomes king. Until then, her father did not show much follow-through with her ideas, although he listened patiently while she shared them. 

“Princess Elena!” the crowds chanted. As the crowds thickened, the spectators in back pressed forward to get a better view, causing a domino reaction until those in the front bulged against the barricade. A shadow crossed Damon’s facial features. 

“Stand back!” Damon yelled at the crowd. He grabbed Elena’s elbow with one hand and activated the communications device in his earpiece with the other. 

“We need more backup at Richmond Street and Fanshawe Park Road!” he barked.

As the crowd bulged forward, Elena spotted a child being pushed into a pole in the barricade. 

“No!” Elena screamed, shaking out of Damon’s grasp and running toward the child. That only excited the crowd more as they surged forward with more force, still chanting her name.

Before she could reach the child, Elena’s heel caught in the cobblestone road, sending her careening down. A bright red gash opened on her knee.

Damon swiftly got to her side and swopped her up. He ran over to the vehicle and tossed her in, shouting, “Drive!” 

When her car got back to the palace, Dr. Jo Laughlin was waiting for Elena in her room. Jo had served as the head of the royal medical team for the past ten years.

“I’m fine Jo, it’s just a small cut,” Elena protested.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Jo shot back.

Jo cleaned and inspected the wound.

“It was a narrow cut. You won’t need any stitches,” Jo declared.

Elena’s parents rushed into her room.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Miranda asked. Before Elena could answer, her father interrupted.

“What the hell were you doing running toward a surging crowd! You really need to be more careful!”

“It’s just a small cut,” Elena protested.

After her parents were convinced that she was alright, they said their goodbyes. Elena glanced into the corner of the room where Damon had been standing. He held his body tight, his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched.

“You’re mad,” Elena stated.

“You’re injured,” Damon replied. “On my watch.” 

“I would hardly call the need to apply antiseptic and a plaster an injury,” Elena joked, smiling.

“Aren’t you at all concerned about your secret admirer? Someone is following you and taking pictures of your every move!” Damon snapped.

Elena shrugged her shoulders. 

“Which secret admirer? I lost count after a few dozen disturbing letters over the years,” she deadpanned.

“You need to take threats to your security seriously! You know from the briefings that this person has more advanced infiltration skills.”

“I can’t live my life always in fear,” Elena explained. “I was just trying to help that child.”

“Did it ever occur to you that you’re not in a position to help?” Damon scolded. “That your presence just creates more chaos, princess?”

Elena felt heat flaring in her chest. 

“I never asked to be a princess,” she retorted.

Still angry, Damon talked through gritted teeth, “If it’s so bad, then make it your choice. Walk away. But, so long as you choose not to leave, accept that you’re a princess and stop being so naïve. Hell, maybe even revel in being royalty. Do you know how much I wanted to be like you when I was growing up?”

A long silence filled the room. Although she found his delivery rough, his main point reminded her of her mantra about gratitude. Others envied her position. Why couldn’t she appreciate it? Why did she push so hard against the limits that came with all of her privileges?

Damon took a breath and his face and tone softened. “It’s not bad to be idealistic. I’d just like you to inject a dose of realism. You need to stick to the plan. We can’t give this latest stalker of yours any vulnerabilities to exploit.”

“Okay,” she responded. “I’ll try.”

“Good. Now, how about a game of parcheesi before bed?” Damon offered.

“Only if you let me win,” Elena challenged.

“Never,” Damon replied.

***

Back in his flat, Damon kicked off his shoes and pulled off his tie. He was unbuttoning his shirt when he heard a rap at the door. He only knew of one person who would show up unannounced at 5 a.m. He swung open the door.

“Katherine. I wasn’t expecting you.”

He held the door open wider so she could come in. She strode in and wriggled out of her jacket, all the while teetering on her high heels.

Katherine was wearing a short skirt, low-cut halter top, and 3-inch heels. She wore heavy mascara and eyeshadow. Her waist-length brown hair fell in waves down her back. 

Damon thought back to how her appearance had changed since secondary school. She had always been thin, but she used to appear muscular and fit. In recent years, she was starting to look a little emaciated. Katherine had always liked to wear flashy clothes and heavy make-up, but her once soft facial features had hardened and were almost always pulled taunt. Her large, brown eyes used to sparkle, but now appeared dull. It was as if all the hardships she had faced in life were mapped out across her face.

Katherine parted Damon’s shirt and traced her hands over his chest. “Just the man I wanted to see,” she said.

She ran her hands down to his belt buckle, suggestively tugging at his belt. Damon pulled her back and examined her closely. She looked like she had been out all night partying. She was either drunk or high. Probably both.

“Katherine, you know how I feel about doing this when you’re not sober.”

“Why do you have to always be so good! I’m feeling especially naughty,” Katherine drawled.

“You need to eat something,” Damon ordered. She was always skipping meals. Damon suspected that she would rather get high than eat.

He sat Katherine down at the table and began dicing peppers and onions to make an omelet. He usually ate breakfast before going to bed anyway. 

“Can you give me 100 euros?” she asked. “I’m going to be late on rent again.”

“Yep, right after you make it through that rehab program I found for you.”

“You’re no fun,” she complained. 

“I must be fun or you wouldn’t keep coming back,” Damon said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

As they ate, Katherine asked him about his new job.

“You’re all fancy and important now. It feels like you’re a long way from Westminster.”

Katherine had never left. She still hung out with the same people and partied like they used to do when they were teenagers. 

“If you told me I would be guarding royalty, I never would have believed you,” Damon offered.

“So, what’s Princess Elena like?” Katherine asked.

Damon shrugged his shoulders. He prided himself on his discretion.

“You know I can’t talk about that.”

“Is she as pretty as me?” Katherine asked with a wink.

Katherine used to look a lot like Elena. When they were in their early 20s and Elena was a teenager, they used to say that the princess was Katherine’s celerity doppelganger. Now, they looked markedly different. Elena had an air of innocence about her while Katherine appeared hardened.

“What the princess looks like without makeup is a state secret. You’re going to have to torture it out of me,” Damon joked.

After they finished eating, Damon cleared the plates.

“I’m going to bed. You staying or going?” Damon asked.

“Staying,” Katherine insisted. “I still haven’t gotten what I came for.”

It was 6 a.m. by the time Damon was ready for bed. He came out of the bathroom to find Katherine standing a few feet outside the door, completely nude. He had to admit, she looked tempting. 

“You want some of my clothes to sleep in?” Damon offered.

“Nope,” Katherine replied.

Damon pointedly walked around her and climbed into bed. She climbed under the covers and reached her hand out to him. Damon pushed her away.

“Stay on your side of the bed,” Damon chastised. “Not until you’re sober.”

Damon was grateful that he was so tired from his stressful day of work, because he was able to quickly drift off. The blare of his alarm woke him up all too soon. It was already 1 p.m. Pulling the cover over her head, Katherine grumbled and rolled over.

Deciding that it was time to get his day started, Damon hopped out of bed and started shuffling around the kitchen. He eyed some lasagna that he had made a few days before and decided to reheat it. It would go well with a salad and some of his homemade olive oil and vinegar dressing. The table was set for two in the hopes that Katherine would eat.

He had just finished tossing the salad when Katherine joined him. Her hair was lopsided from how she slept and her mascara had smeared a little under her eyes. Damon couldn’t understand why she spent so much time caring for herself superficially – like always wearing make-up – but often forgot to do the important things like eating, sleeping, and showering. 

Her served her a healthy helping of lasagna and salad and, to his pleasure, she finished it all off. He knew his cooking was good, but Katherine ate like a bird. 

“I’m done eating and I’m sober,” Katherine declared.

“You look like hell. You should go take a shower,” Damon retorted.

She glared at him, but disappeared into the bathroom.

Katherine emerged with wet hair, her face devoid of makeup. Damon liked her better this way. A tiny towel covered her torso.

“I’m going to load the dishwasher,” she announced.

Damon cocked an eyebrow. Katherine never offered to do chores. 

Leaning over the sink, she hiked up the towel a little bit to give Damon a view of the bottom half of her ass cheeks. With flourish, she grabbed a plate and put it in the dishwasher. Keeping her legs straight, she bent from her hips and thrust them in the general direction of Damon, giving him a full view of the folds between her legs. 

Rushing into his bedroom, Damon grabbed a condom. When he returned, he slowed his pace, stalking up behind her. When he reached her, Katherine ignored him and continued to load the dishwasher. “Ignore this,” Damon thought. He slid his fingers up and down her labia, increasing the pressure when he arrived at her clitoris. Katherine moaned loudly. He slid his middle and index finger inside of her, scissoring her with them to prepare her for him. 

Deciding that she was wet and ready for him, Damon undid his zipper and pulled out his cock. Since Katherine liked it hard and quick, he didn’t bother to take off his trousers. He tore the condom open and put it on. Katherine was grasping onto the edge of the sink, thrusting her hips back. Damon eased himself into her slowly, then picking up the pace until he was grabbing her hips and pounding into her hard. Katherine squealed with delight and Damon let out a low grunt. 

Damon soon found himself thinking about work. He hoped it was an uneventful day. Shit. He had gone soft. 

“I can help with that,” Katherine offered, pulling off his condom and getting down on her knees in front of him. 

She pulled the length of him into his mouth. If he softened his gaze, she looked like Elena. Just the thought of Elena taking him into his mouth made his erection come back with a vengeance. Lifting Katherine into his arms, he carried her to his bed and gently laid her down.

“You’ve just woken up from a nightmare and I’m going to comfort you, Elena,” he thought to himself. He wondered if he was going to hell for the fantasy, but it was turning him on, so he decided that nobody needed to know. He kissed her lips softly, then started nibbling on her ear and neck. He ran his hands up and down her sides. He paid special attention to each of her breasts, caressing them and sucking on her nipples. His tongue traced a trail down her stomach and dipped into her belly button. Down further still, licking her inner thighs.

“Just fuck me already!” Katherine ordered.

“Not until I do this first,” Damon replied.

His fingers delved inside of her while his tongue lapped at her clitoris. Katherine spasmed and tightened around him. He slowed his movements, but did not stop. Once her orgasm passed and she had some time to recover, he gently increased his pace until another orgasm built. Soon, Katherine began trembling all over.

“Damon!” she shouted as she came again.

“That’s right, scream my name princess,” Damon thought to himself. The thought of Elena calling out his name in a fit of passion made him even harder.

The third time Katherine climaxed, she barely made a sound, but the spasms around his finger and shooting down her legs told Damon that she was in ecstasy. Damon put on another condom and gently slid into her before the last of the spasms stopped, allowing him to feel her tighten and spasm around his cock.

“That feels so good,” Damon moaned.

He wanted to enjoy this little fantasy, so Damon moved slowly when he entered her, varying speeds and angles. When he found an angle that Katherine seemed to enjoy, he lingered longer. As her moans increased, he went down on her again, bringing her near release. Then, he slammed into her hard. 

“Damon!” she shouted as she began spasming around him again, her head thrown back in pleasure.

“Did the duke ever make you come four times?” Damon imagined taunting Elena. 

“No,” she would pant. “Only you.”

The thought of tormenting Elena with multiple orgasms drove him wild. Suddenly, he felt a flash of white light rip through his head, like he could barely see. That hadn’t happened to him before. His orgasm was long and hard.

“Holy shit!” he cried out, releasing his seed into the condom. 

He collapsed onto Katherine. After a moment, she pushed him off and started to get dressed.

“I have to get going,” she announced.

“Okay,” Damon replied, still a little breathless.

“What got into you today? Missionary style, really? Sex with you has never been so boring.”

“Yeah,” Damon panted. “You were so bored that you came four times.”

***

The next day, Elena prepared to go to Matt’s estate for dinner. 

“Your car is ready,” Damon said, after rapping on the door. 

“Thanks,” Elena responded, putting the clasp on her earring. She smiled and quipped, “I promise, no running off tonight.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Damon responded. “I figured you and the duke would be too busy staring into each other’s eyes.”

“And reciting How Do I Love Thee?” Elena joked.

“Ah, my lady liketh her poetry,” Damon replied. “Let me see if I can recall the full sonnet.” 

Damon then launched into the poem: 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Elena stared at Damon, speechless. She wished that Matt would break out with a poem. Elena realized she was gawking at him and racked her brain for some retort.

“You like poetry?” Elena questioned. She cursed herself for stating the obvious.

“Yep,” Damon quipped. “It often expresses emotions better than mere conversation.” 

They fell silent.

“Everything okay?” Damon asked.

“It’s just . . .” Elena paused. “I’ve been having some doubts lately . . .”

A knowing look came over Damon’s face.

“Why are you smirking at me?” Elena snapped.

“Because your problem is so obvious,” Damon retorted.

“Well, then tell me what my problem is,” Elena demanded.

“You happen to be a passionate person. Your boyfriend, not so much,” Damon stated.

“And what do you know of Matt?” Elena asked.

“I don’t need to know him to know that he fits within a certain mold. You know the statement, ‘sticking it to the man’?” Damon asked.

Elena nodded.

“Well, you are dating ‘the man’,” Damon concluded.

***

Dinner was made more awkward by Damon’s lingering presence out in the hallway. How was it that Damon is not even in this room and his presence is larger than Matt’s? “Never mind him,” Elena thought to herself. She needed to turn her attention back to Matt. She knew what she had to do.

“Matt, you’ve never been anything but good to me...” she started, hoping to let him down easy.

In the car ride home, Elena noticed Damon smiling to himself as he looked out the window. She found his smugness annoying, but decided to wait to address it until they were alone.

When they arrived back at the sitting room, Elena shot daggers at him with her eyes. 

“Bad break-up?” Damon quipped.

“Why do you care? You act like it’s obvious that Matt and I were not a good fit for each other. But, you barely know him.”

“When you’ve been in survival mode for most of your life, you learn to watch for signs of trouble long before they appear,” Damon explained.

“Oh,” Elena stated, feeling bad for being mad at him when he put it that way. 

Damon seemed to mistake her guilt for sadness.

“You should do something fun,” Damon offered. “It might cheer you up.”

“Well, I can’t do what I want to do,” Elena replied.

“And what exactly do you want to do?” Damon asked. The way his eyes sparked with mischief, she guessed that he intended a double entendre. 

“Sometimes I fantasize about letting loose, you know? Drinking a mediocre pint and partying until 3 a.m.,” she said.

Damon thought it best not to tell her what he now allowed himself to fantasize about when it came to her.

“I have this cousin, Caroline,” Elena continued. “She knows of a great make-up artist from Hollywood,” Elena said. “He can apply a prosthetic nose, wig, and contacts in a way that makes a person look completely different. If I had a disguise like that, I could go dancing, let loose, and nobody would recognize me.”

Damon smiled. Caroline Forbes was a well-known actress, yet she was introducing her as if he had never heard the name before.

“So, your big fantasy night is to go to a dance club?” Damon teased.

Elena swatted at his arm. 

“Small things become a bigger deal when you can’t do them,” Elena explained. “My last bodyguard wouldn’t go for it, but you are so much more fun.” 

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Damon replied.

“So, will you help me?” Elena asked, smiling.

“That depends,” Damon replied. “Will you agree to one condition? No more unexpected detours when I’m on duty. You run all your plans by me first.” 

“Oh,” Elena said. The smile disappeared from her face.

“Elena, I won’t hinder you, but we just need to plan it out first,” Damon replied. “We could travel all of London handing out food to the homeless if that’s what you want, but I just need to know the route so the shift commander can have our crew in place.” 

Elena looked relieved, the twinkle back in her eyes. 

“Deal,” she said. 

***

The creases around Alaric’s eyes revealed his worry and tension.

“So, we’ve arrived at a dead end on our investigation of the e-mail,” he said.

“But, I thought you traced it back to the sender?” Damon asked.

“We thought we did. The e-mail was sent from Guildhall Library at a time when the computer was checked out to a patron. But, it turns out the patron was a 76-year-old widower with stage five dementia. He could not recall anything about the e-mail. His daughter was with him, but went to check out some books while he was on the computer. Library staff also could not recall anything significant about his time on the computer. His daughter agreed to let us search their home, but we did not find anything significant.”

Alaric planted his feet squarely on the floor and leaned forward. 

“This person is going to a lot of work to cover their tracks. Can you think of anyone who might hold a grudge against you?”

“The only person who I can think of is my father,” Damon replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline breezed throughout the palace like she owned the place. She might not be royalty, but she was America’s princess. She was wearing stilettos and a blue Armani dress that was cinched at the waist. Her skirt and long, blonde locks flowed behind her as she paced around the room. From the way she commanded the room, one would never guess that she was the younger of the two cousins.

“Franz, I’m thinking blonde hair,” she said picking up a wig from the pile of wigs tossed on the bed. Then, she threw it aside and grabbed another one. 

“No, red. Definitely the red one,” Caroline concluded.

Caroline picked up a wig of long, red hair and examined it like she was looking for slight defects in a diamond. 

“Franz, can you cut this one to into a bob?” 

“Of course sweetheart,” Franz drawled. His long, brown hair was pulled into a pony tail and he wore jeans so tight that Damon wondered how he could move.

Caroline swiftly crossed the room to Damon, an intent expression on her face like a hawk that had located its prey.

“What do you think Damon?” she asked, touching his forearm, her blue eyes peering up at him through her eyelashes.

“I prefer brunettes and a natural look,” Damon commented. “So, I’m definitely not the person to consult on this one.”

“You’re the perfect person,” Caroline replied, taking a step closer to him. “You seem like a man who knows exactly what he likes.”

Based on all the hints that she had been dropping over the past hour, Damon surmised that Caroline would sleep with him if he flirted back. He had plenty of one-night stands and was not against the idea in theory. Yet, instead of feeling excited by her proximity, he only felt slightly annoyed by her exuberance. 

“Damon’s at work,” Elena interrupted. “Maybe you should give him some space to breathe, Care?”

There was an edge to Elena’s voice. Damon liked seeing her act possessive over him. 

Caroline locked eyes with Elena and they seemed to engage in a silent conversation. She turned her attention to back to Elena and began to fawn over her. A flurry of activity ensued. Although Damon mused that he practically had a degree in primping after just one month at this post, Hollywood make-up artistry took it to a whole new level. After applying a prosthetic nose, Franz actually spray painted Elena’s skin. 

When Franz’s masterpiece was complete, Elena stood, looking at herself tentatively in the vanity mirror.

“Well do you think Damon?” she asked.

In addition to the prosthetic nose and red wig, her large, brown eyes were now blue. A silver tube top revealed her shoulders and cleavage, two violations of the royal dress code. Her legs were flanked by black knee-high boots, topped off by a mini-skirt, comprising two more offenses of the royal dress code. Damon wondered if Franz was the makeup artist for Pretty Woman, but thought it best not to say that out loud. He searched her face for some recognition, and found it in her eyes, despite their change of color. 

“You look beautiful,” Damon said simply. 

“Oh, thank you,” Elena replied, looking a little surprised. “But, do you think it will work as a disguise?”

Damon felt like an idiot for misunderstanding the question, so he quickly changed course and rattled off his answer.

“You’re barely recognizable,” he said. “And your outfit should blend right in. I scouted out the place with my shift supervisor last week and there were a lot of women dressed similarly. I also tried to dress like the men.” 

Damon gestured down at his jeans and tight-fitting V-neck t shirt. He had probably changed outfits more than necessary to find the right one.

Elena eyed him up and down. “Well, I think you look beautiful too,” she teased. 

She turned to Caroline.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” she asked. 

“I wouldn’t last another 15 minutes with this jet lag. Besides, I think you two beauties will do just fine without me.”

Damon drove Elena in his Camaro so as to not attract attention, with unmarked cars trailing behind. When they arrived at the night club, it was more crowded than Damon remembered. Damon and Alaric had planned for various scenarios, but the change in the number of patrons reminded Damon that anything could happen in such an uncontrolled setting. If something went wrong, it was his ass on the line. He plastered on a fake smile for Elena’s sake.

“How about that mediocre pint?” Damon asked, leaning in close so Elena could hear him above the blaring music. Elena accepted and he returned with a pint for her and a drink for himself.

“I’m just going to hang back and let you enjoy yourself,” Damon shouted. 

“Okay,” Elena shouted back. “I’m going to go dance.” 

No sooner had she started walking away when a bloke “accidentally” brushed his hand over her backside.

“Crap,” Damon muttered to himself and dashed to her side. 

“You okay?” he asked, his lips over her ear.

Elena’s eyes narrowed. She got close to his ear and responded, “Is that how men act in dance clubs? They just touch women’s bodies in whatever way they want?”

“Just the knobs,” Damon responded. “I could have our security on him in a minute.”

“No,” Elena replied. “This is my one night of being normal, remember?” 

Elena continued onto the dance floor and a smile broke out on her face as they played an upbeat song. No sooner had she started dancing when another bloke came up behind, wrapped his hands around her waist, and tried to dance with his hips pressed into her. 

Elena looked horrified.

“Shit,” Damon muttered. 

Damon approached the dance floor and leaned in, “Hey, man, get your hands off my girlfriend.”

The man slunk away.

“I’m sorry Elena,” he said. “Do you want me to take you home?”

Elena looked torn for a moment, then resolute.

“Your girlfriend wants to dance,” she replied, shimmying happily to the song. 

Damon knew that he was surrounded by security personnel in plain clothes. Yet, he could not communicate with them directly because he had gone without his earpiece so as not to blow Elena’s cover. He caught the eye of the closest, undercover security guard. The guard gave Damon a slight nod, seeming to agree that it would be better for Damon to dance with Elena than to continue to fend off inappropriate advances. With that, Damon could relax.

And then there was only the beat of the music, his body moving rhythmically. Damon loved to lose himself in the melody. He grabbed Elena’s hand and swung her around.

“You’re good at this,” she observed.

“Damn right,” Damon thought to himself.

“Dancing is my thing,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Are you single?” Elena asked pointedly.

“I’m here with my girlfriend,” Damon joked.

“Well, besides me as your fake girlfriend, do you have a significant other?” Elena asked.

“No, I stay single in case I need to serve as someone’s fake boyfriend at work,” Damon joked again. Then, he replied more seriously, “I guess I sometimes forget to have a personal life outside of work.” 

Ten songs and one more pint later, both their faces shone with sweat. Damon felt Elena entwine her fingers behind his neck, pulling her hips closer to his.

“We’re not dancing like the other couples,” she said into his ear, gesturing around at the other people on the dance floor.

Damon paused, well aware of all the eyes on him. 

Sensing his hesitation, Elena clarified, “We’re not blending in very well.”

Damon knew he would probably get a talking to for this. But, he recalled how this was her one night to feel a little more free. Deciding that it was worth taking some crap so Elena could enjoy herself, Damon acquiesced. 

Elena melded her body into his, moving rhythmically with him. Her hands were all over him, exploring his shoulders, chest, biceps, and back. Damon felt a jolt of excitement run through his body. Her touch felt so good. Damon prided himself on respectfully keeping his hands on her waist. “Who the hell am I kidding,” he thought to himself, as she moved her hips over his. Nothing about this dance would look respectful. He allowed his forehead to fall forward, his eyes inches apart from hers. It felt so right to hold her like this. 

Damon gazed into Elena’s eyes, mere inches away from her, and everything else fell away. He had never seen her so alive before. Her eyes shone vibrantly. Her cheeks were flushed and her movements flowed freely. Gone was the woman with apprehension in her eyes, constantly aware that she was being scrutinized. Damon pondered the enigma of Elena needing to pretend to be someone else to feel free, but his brain was too cloudy to fully process that thought. He felt a bit drunk on excitement, knowing that he was part of the reason that Elena was so happy. He hugged her closer to him and let the beat continue to carry him away. 

On the ride home, Elena asked Damon to put down the top of his car so she could enjoy the wind whipping around her. The April air was warm and felt good against their cheeks. Elena stood up and shrieked with joy like a teenager. Damon reasoned that she probably never acted like a normal teenager before and was fine with indulging her. By the time they got back to the palace, the wind had nearly detached her wig and prosthetic nose. Elena peeled them off and tried her best to wipe off some of the make-up caked on her face. She looked a bit of a mess, but the look of sheer jubilation on her face made her undeniably beautiful.

“So, people really dance like that?” Elena asked.

Damon nodded. Elena’s jubilance was wearing off on him and he was feeling a little deliriously happy himself and having trouble stringing together sentences.

“I think that was the most fun I’ve ever had,” Elena prattled as they arrived back at her suite.

As they stood outside the door, she leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. Her warm breath tickled his neck. Elena leaned into him, tipped her face up, and brought her lips mere inches from his. Damon stood frozen, not daring to move. “Who’s the wide-eyed doe now?” he thought to himself.

Elena brushed her lips against his. Once . . . twice . . . three times. “Her lips feel so soft,” Damon thought. Damon inhaled sharply, knowing it was time to come back down to reality.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and stepped back.

“Maybe you should get some sleep?” he asked softly. “I don’t think you’ll have any nightmares tonight.”

Elena reached out and trailed her fingers down his chest. “I’m not tired.”

Damon caught her hand.

“Elena, I can’t,” he said firmly, while the voice in his head screamed, “Why the hell not?” 

Elena stepped away, looking dejected, and turned toward her bedroom.

Damon wanted to do something to return the look of jubilance to her face.

“Wait, Elena,” Damon said, pulling her back for a hug and grazing his lips across her forehead. 

“Tonight has been eventful already. Why don’t we stop while we’re ahead?” he explained.

Elena nodded in agreement and retreated into her bedroom. Damon spent the rest of his shift imagining kissing Elena back. He would draw her soft curves into his body and gently explore her mouth with his. When he had his fill of her lips, he would move his lips across her check to her ear, nipping at her ear lobe. Then, taking his time, very slowly, he would move his lips down to the curve of her neck, searching for a sensitive spot. He wondered if he could bring her to life even more, not hushing her to be quiet because the person who was listening for her cries would be him. His body remained in the parlor, but his mind spent the entire night on the other side of that door. 

***

As Elena climbed into bed, her body was still tingling. When Damon touched her, she felt electric pulses coursing through her veins. Elena sensed that Damon felt the same. His eyes held pure adoration all night. She had never experienced such a gaze before. It was the first time she had felt truly seen as a woman and not just a princess.

How could he look at her with such longing and then refuse her advance? Elena guessed that he was attempting to remain professional, despite their shared attraction. 

Elena imagined what it would feel like if Damon were lying next to her. She wished he would run his hands down the length of her body, caressing her breasts through the fabric of the nightgown. He would move his hands down and, when he reached the hem of her nightgown, slide his hands under it and up her bare legs. It would feel so nice to have her bare skin touching his. Elena glanced over at the door separating her from Damon. Just a thin piece of wood separated her from him. 

Elena sighed and rumbled through her nightstand. Caroline was always giving her risqué gifts and recently slipped her a rabbit vibrator. Elena found the box and tore it open, deciding that there was no time like the present to test it out. She glanced back at the door. She would have to be very quiet. Elena set it to its lowest setting and slipped it under her comforter, hoping that would help muffle the noise. Elena imagined dancing with Damon, her body glued to his. Except, this time, he would follow her into her room and pin her against the bed. Elena pretended that the vibrations were Damon’s finger and tongue, gently massaging her. Her legs and torso had began to tremble and it felt as though white lightening was extending down from her pelvis. It felt so good that she wanted to moan, but she kept silent. 

“We have to be very quiet. I can’t get caught doing this on the job,” Damon said 

“Then why are you here with me right now?” Elena asked.

“Because I can’t resist you.”

Damon continued to stroke her with his tongue and finger and the trembling moved up to her torso and arms. 

“I need you. Inside of me. Right now,” she gasped.

Damon quickly removed the rest of his clothes, his shaft perched just outside the folds of her labia.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Oh, yes.” Elena moaned, pushing her hips up toward him.

As Damon slid into her, he stroked her clitoris with his fingers. The feeling was overwhelming. Elena was still trembling, but she could feel something else building up within her that felt even stronger. She froze and looked away for a moment, afraid by how intense her response might be. 

“Just let go,” Damon said soothingly. “I want you to feel completely free with me.”

Elena stopped fighting the sensations. Heat pooled in her pelvis then her vagina began to contract and pulse around his hard shaft. Damon continued to slide in and out of her and each thrust of his shaft caused another contraction to start. The intense sensations moved up to her head until she wanted to scream in pleasure. She turned toward her pillow and bit the fabric to keep silent. 

“You’re so sexy,” Damon moaned. Her release put him over the edge. Elena watched as Damon’s face tightened in pleasure. His blue eyes glazed over with delirium. He collapsed on top of her and lied still for a moment, still connected.

“That’s how I hoped this evening would end,” Elena sighed, turning off the vibrator. 

***

Bonnie Bennett straightened her blazer as she walked through the front court of Trinity Hall. Her black hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. She wore minimal makeup and her almond-colored skin looked flawless without it. The beauty of Cambridge University quelled some of her frustration from being in traffic for the past two hours. She felt slightly annoyed that she was conducting a background check instead of following leads for drug trafficking, but she had given Prince Jeremy her word.

She met Jeremy seven years ago at Oxford University, when she was a senior and he was a first-year student. She liked that he was unfiltered and genuine. Through Jeremy, she had met Elena and became friends with her as well. Although she doubted that any stones were left unturned during the first security check of Elena’s bodyguard, she hoped that her follow-up could bring them both some peace of mind. 

Bonnie rapped on the door and a young man she recognized as Stefan Salvatore answered. His light brown hair had blonde highlights and it seemed to defy gravity by lifting up before falling back. Bonnie introduced herself as an investigator for the National Crime Agency and quickly flashed her badge. Stefan’s green eyes registered shock, but he confirmed his identity and invited her in. Bonnie was pleased that she had caught Stefan by surprise. She did not want him to rehearse his answers.

“I have a few questions related to the background check for your brother, Damon Salvatore,” she explained.

Stefan’s eyes widened.

“I already told the previous investigator everything I know for Damon’s background check. Is something wrong?”

“This is a follow-up interview,” Bonnie explained. Before Stefan could ask more questions, she fired questions at him. “I’d like to go over with you the circumstances surrounding your brother’s arrest.”

“There’s not much to say. My brother was 17 and always getting into fights. One night, things got out of hand between him and my father. The police had to come to break it up.”

Sensing that he was holding back, Bonnie pushed a little harder.

“The police report says you called and told them that you were afraid that your brother was going to kill your father.”

“I was 7 at the time and probably more scared than I should have been,” Stefan explained. “It’s been so long ago that I’m a bit hazy on all the details.”

“The police heard your mum in the background yelling for Damon to stop and shouting that, ‘You’re going to kill him!’ Do you remember that?”

“I remember her being concerned about Damon’s behavior, but there were extenuating circumstances. I think Damon was a little pissed that night.”

“Was it common for your brother to drink on a weeknight?” Bonnie asked.

“He drank a lot when he was a teenager. He stopped by his 20s. He hasn’t had a drink since.”

“Is he an alcoholic?” Bonnie pried.

“I’m not a medical expert or anything. I just know that he acted out when he was younger and drank and he hasn’t done that since he stopped.”

“I’m not asking for a medical opinion. I’m just asking for your opinion. Do you think that your brother is an alcoholic?”

“Let’s put it this way: I’m glad that he stopped drinking and I wouldn’t want him to start again.”

“Do you worry that your brother might resume drinking?”

“Yes. I don’t think it’s good for him.”

“Do you think your brother might act out again if he started drinking?”

“Possibly. But, I probably just worry too much.”

Bonnie was satisfied that she got the answers she needed and ended the interview. 

***

“I can’t believe you’ve got the hots for your bodyguard!” Caroline squealed.

“Shhh!” Elena responded, looking pointedly at Tyler. He looked straight ahead, but she could see a small upturn at the corners of his lips.

“I need your help in the bathroom with a female problem!” Caroline proclaimed, dragging Elena away from the dining room where they had been sharing breakfast. 

Elena turned on the faucet to drown out the sound of their conversation.

“So, how strong are your feelings for Damon?” Caroline probed.

“I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about him and he makes me happy. But, it’s only been a month.”

“Elena, you’re positively glowing! Maye you’re falling in love with him?”

“I don’t think that’s possible so soon. It took years for my feelings for Matt to develop,” Elena replied.

“Oh yes, because love definitely needs to follow a logical timeline,” Caroline teased. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know. I could ask him out, but we’ve already hung out so much that we’re pretty far beyond first date material. Also, I’m not sure if he would even want to pursue anything with me given his career.”

“He wants you and just needs a little push over the edge. You have to seduce him,” Caroline exclaimed. 

“What about his job?” Elena asked.

“Just be discrete. You two are consenting adults and you owe it to yourselves to explore the connection you have.”

Caroline whisked Elena into her walk-in closet and insisted that she try on the most elaborate white, lace teddy that she had ever seen. They talked in hushed tones so Tyler would not overhear the conversation.

“No, silly, this piece goes on the right side,” Caroline corrected. 

Elena looked down perplexed. It looked like a bra and thong. The sides of the knickers consisted of two strings, separated by an inch of skin. A separate piece of matching lace with an intricate design, was to cover the middle of her stomach and leave her sides bare. The detachable lace had four ribbons, one on each corner, to attach to the rest of the lingerie, but Elena could not figure out how it worked. 

“Is this the type of lingerie they sell in the United States?” Elena asked.

“I have some pieces custom made,” Caroline replied. “It’s sexier to be able to take it off in pieces.”

Caroline deftly connected the top ribbons through small openings at the bottom of the bra cups and then tied the ribbons together in a bow just under Elena’s breasts. She did the same with the ribbons on the bottom, looping them through small slits in the edges of the knickers and then bringing them together to tie a bow just at the top of the pants.

“Now, put on the thigh highs and stilettos,” Caroline commanded. 

Elena put on the nude thigh thighs with a matching lace design around the top and strappy, silver high heels that Caroline was lending her. She stood up, gazed in the mirror, and gaped at her image. The lace was not lined and it certainly did not leave much to the imagination. Together with the thigh highs and pumps, she looked downright scandalous.

“What if I make a fool of myself?” Elena asked.

“You look amazing and it would take a fool to say ‘no’ to you in that outfit. Besides, it’s about time you started taking more risks.”

I want to take this risk,” Elena concluded. She looked at her image in the mirror, threw back her shoulders, faking confidence. She was going to seduce Damon and she was going to do it tonight. 

***

As soon as Jeremy got off the phone with Bonnie, he hurried to find Elena. He caught her walking down the hallway, about to head into a briefing.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important!” he insisted. 

He pulled her into the drawing room and pointedly looked at the bodyguards before closing the door on them. He couldn’t have them in the room for this conversation. After the information Bonnie had dug up, he did not know who he could trust.

“We need to dismiss Damon. Today. He has a history of alcohol abuse and might even be an alcoholic. He also has a history of getting violent when he drinks. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

“That sounds more like his father than him.” Elena furrowed her brow. She thought back to the drinks she saw in Damon’s hand last night. He did not seem intoxicated and he certainly did not seem violent.

“What happened?” she asked. “He seemed fine just yesterday.” 

“I had Bonnie start a new background check and her initial findings are troubling. Damon was arrested for aggravated assault when he was 17. According to his brother, Stefan, he had a real drinking problem. Stefan hinted that he might act violently again if he resumed drinking.” 

Elena rolled her eyes. “Really, Jeremy. A drunk 17-year-old getting into a fight is hardly big news. We wouldn’t have any bodyguards if we worried about that.”

“I don’t think you understand, Elena. It’s like he snapped and his family was worried that he was going to kill his father. The brother still seemed a little worried about his stability if he starts drinking again. I’m not going to take that risk with my sister!”

“You’re overreacting. I won’t let you fire him!”

“Then I’ll tell mum and dad and they will do it for me,” he said. 

Elena pondered that idea. If her father found out, he would probably reassign Damon in an abundance of caution. She needed to prevent that from happening.

She put her hand on Jeremy’s arm. “I care about Damon. I would be so hurt if you got him dismissed. You can’t do that to me.”

“You’ve only known him for a little over three weeks. You’ll get over it,” Jeremy reasoned. Despite his firm words, his delivery softened.

Elena saw her opening.

“Let me talk to him and find out more about what happened,” she implored. “I’ll call Bonnie and hear it straight from the source. If I have concerns after that, I’ll dismiss him myself.”

“Okay,” Jeremy agreed.

Elena knew she would not dismiss Damon, but she was trying to appease her hot-headed little brother. Although she knew Jeremy was showing concern for her in his own way, it felt like he was about to ignite a powder keg in her love life. He really should be more understanding given his relationship with Anna. How would he like it if she started a new background check into her? 

Elena wished she could call Caroline to ask for advice, but she had just dropped her off at Heathrow earlier in the day and she was on a plane now. Instead, she pulled out her phone and called Bonnie.

“Hi Elena!” she exclaimed warmly. 

“Bonnie, I’m sorry to bother you at work. Is now a good time?”

“Of course,” Bonnie replied. 

“I hear Jeremy has asked you to look into my bodyguard. Will you be sure to get the full story? Jeremey is getting a little worked up over here and I want to make sure Damon gets a fair shake in all of this. He’s really a good guy.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“You mean you didn’t know that I was doing another background check on Sergeant Salvatore? The way Jeremy phrased it, I thought I was doing you both a favor. If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t. I don’t want to get in the middle of whatever is going on between you and Jeremy.”

“No, it’s fine,” Elena responded. “Now that it’s started, Jeremy probably won’t rest until he gets the full report. I just want you to make sure it’s fair.”

“Of course,” Bonnie replied. “So, you’re not worried about this e-mail warning?” 

“No, I think it was baseless. Based on what you know right now, do you have any concerns?” Elena asked.

“I do wonder about the drinking,” Bonnie said. “It’s not unheard of for teenagers to act violently, but if someone has a drinking problem, that could be a life-long struggle and make them unstable. I’d want to make sure his drinking is under control. I’m wondering why that was not documented more thoroughly in his first background check.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll talk to you later,” Elena said forcing cheerfulness into her voice. Even Bonnie had reservations about Damon. Suddenly, Elena wondered if she could trust her own judgment.

***

Damon noticed that Elena’s comments were shorter and her expression was pensive. She was probably embarrassed about coming on to him last night. Damon recalled brushing his lips over her forehead. He was no saint himself. It seemed like a kind gesture at the time, but he had crossed a line. 

Maybe she was afraid he would make a pass at her and she did not want that now that she was sober? He could not blame her for being apprehensive around him. The truth was that he was having unprofessional thoughts about her and it was in her best interest to put some distance between them. 

“Can I talk to you for a moment, Damon?” Elena asked, interrupting his reverie. 

Damon felt a pit form in his stomach. He dreaded this conversation. It was his job to make her feel safe and he had failed. This position was the best thing to happen to him and he was single-handedly fucking it up.

Elena opened the door wider to allow Damon into her bedroom, but Damon gestured toward the sofa in the parlor, deeming it more neutral territory. 

“I wanted to talk to you, too,” Damon said. “I’m afraid I’ve been blurring some personal and professional boundaries lately. That won’t happen anymore.”

“Oh,” Elena said, looking down at her lap. 

“I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable,” Damon continued.

“You haven’t made me uncomfortable. If we’re talking about boundary crossing, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. I know I’ve been flirting with you. Do you want me to stop?”

Damon furrowed his brow. Hell no. For purposes of his job, yes, it would be better if she stopped. 

“We can be friendly,” Damon explained. “But, unless I’m trying to shield you from some danger, it would be best if we did not cross the touch boundary.”

“Okay,” Elena replied, glancing down again. “I’m sorry.” 

“You haven’t offended my sensibilities. I’m just trying to do my job well. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?” 

Elena started wringing her hands. 

“After Jeremy got that e-mail about you, he asked a friend of ours at the NCA to look into you. Something came up about you drinking and getting into a fight with your father when you were young. Now, Jeremy is all worried. Is there anything I could tell him that could help calm him down?”

“I see,” Damon replied, a little too coldly. 

His thoughts raced: Was his security clearance at risk? Could he lose his job? Probably, if Jeremy was displeased. He had almost depleted his savings and needed this pay raise to save more money over the summer to help Stefan during his last year in college. He also had just moved his mum into a nicer flat. What would he do if he lost his job? Did this change how Elena viewed him? That probably explained why she had been acting so odd today. That was not the most pressing concern, he reminded himself. Stay focused. 

“That did happen,” Damon said. “But, I never tried to hide it. I’ve made a lot of changes in my life since then.”

Elena nodded. 

Damon looked off into the corner of the room, silent and pensive for a moment. 

“I was arrested that night,” Damon began. “I was tired of seeing the bruises on my mum, so tired of his drunken belligerence. I just totally lost it. I had grown taller and bigger than my father and I just started pummeling him with my fists, bringing him to the ground. We knocked over a liquor bottle in the tussle and I took the broken bottle in my hand and literally thought about stabbing him with it. My own father. Luckily, before I could do something I might regret, he turned it on me and pierced my shoulder.”

“I don’t think there’s anything lucky about that situation,” Elena replied quietly. “Did the police arrest him too?”

“Oh, they brought him in for questioning, but they said something about how my dad was acting in self-defense and I apparently was not,” Damon replied.

Elena scoffed, not finding any appropriate words.

“I enlisted in the Armed Forces soon thereafter. The judge let me go on good behavior. On the bright side, that incident finally pushed my mum to leave my dad,” Damon concluded. 

“I’m so sorry to bring up something so painful,” Elena said. She then muttered under her breath, “I’m going to kill Jeremy.”

“Is that everything?” Damon asked.

“Unfortunately, no. I think Jeremy and the investigator are more worried about your drinking since they don’t know if that’s still an ongoing problem.”

“It’s not,” Damon replied stiffly.

“It would help if you could tell me something more. Do you drink at all?”

“No,” Damon answered.

“Not even a little bit? What did you drink at the club last night?”

It seemed that the problem was not just that Jeremy had concerns, Elena also had concerns. What about his persona screamed, “I drink at work.”

“Seltzer water and cranberry juice,” Damon answered sharply. “Does that clear everything up for you?”

“Yes.”

As she disappeared back into the bedroom, Damon felt tense. He did not like it when people doubted him, least of all her.

***

The next morning, Elena stormed into Jeremy’s bedroom, throwing open the door without knocking.

“You better be prepared to apologize to me!” she yelled.

Jeremy looked up from his laptop. It was a few minutes before 7 a.m. and he was still in his pajamas. 

Elena slammed the door behind her, shutting out both of their bodyguards.

“Jeez, Elena, you’re going to wake everyone up. Cut it out!”

“No, you cut it out Jeremy!” She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. She got closer so she could not be overheard and talked in a hushed voice.

“Damon’s father was an abusive knob. Damon only fought with him to protect his mother. Also, he doesn’t even drink anymore.”

“Okay,” Jeremy held his hands out in mock surrender. “Now, we know his side of the story. If it ends up being true, I’ll let it go.”

“What do you mean if it ends up being true? Of course it’s true.”

“You just believe what you want to believe, Elena. His little brother did not say anything about abuse. It’s just not adding up. Somebody is lying.”

“Or maybe his brother was too young to know the full story. Why are you acting this way?”

“Of all people you could have fallen for, you pick him. The same person I get a mysterious warning note about. I’m not going to let you end up with some bloke who could end up hurting you.”

Elena softened. Despite his heavy-handed tactics, he meant well.

“I’m the older sibling, remember? I can take care of myself.”

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders.

“You can hate me for this, but I’m doing it because I love you,” he said.

Elena sighed. 

“I love you, too, you arse.”

***

“How’d your seduction go? Tell me everything!” Caroline exclaimed. 

Elena turned down the volume on her cellphone. Caroline had a penchant for squealing. 

“Care, it got all messed up.” 

Elena quickly recounted the events from the day before.

“Jeremy will come around.” Caroline piped in. “As for Damon, men have sensitive egos. You can get past that if you stroke it, if you know what I mean.”

“Very funny,” Elena said. “But, he told me that I’m not supposed to touch him anymore. Professional boundaries and all.”

“Oh dear, that does make things more complicated,” Caroline intoned. “But, I have an idea . . .”

***

The next day, Elena noticed that Damon was holding himself stiffly and not engaging in his usual banter. Elena surmised that she had upset him by asking more about his past. Damn Jeremy for interfering with her love life. She approached him that evening when they were alone.

“I’m afraid I hurt your feelings by asking you about your drinking yesterday,” Elena started.

“My feelings don’t get hurt,” Damon retorted, a little too quickly. 

“I think it’s ridiculous for Jeremy to be concerned about something that happened over a decade ago, when you were a minor. I already told him as much. But, I thought it was fair to ask more about your drinking. Especially after we just went to a club together and I saw what looked like a mixed drink in your hand.”

“That’s not how this works. You’re supposed to feel safe in my presence. I am your security. You’re not the one looking after me. But, you don’t even trust me not to drink at work.”

“That’s not true! I asked you one follow-up question, and you conclude that I don’t trust you. That’s a bit of an overreaction.”

“Just admit it,” Damon challenged. “You were worried about my drinking.” 

“I’m sorry if I seemed suspicious. The truth is that I was concerned about your drinking yesterday.”

Damon’s shoulder’s stiffened.

“Now my feelings are hurt,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me –” 

“Damon, wait! You didn’t let me finish! Yes, I was concerned, but when you told me that you don’t drink, I believed you. I’m not worried anymore. I trust you.”

“You do?” Damon asked. His stance became more relaxed.

“Yes,” she said with confidence. “Now, can I ask for your help with something?”

Damon nodded.

“I’ve signed up for this charity dance-off next month and I don’t want to make a complete fool of myself. Would you be willing to teachme some of your dance moves?”

“Your dancing seemed just fine to me,” he said.

“That’s because you were leading me,” Elena exclaimed. “I practically have two left feet on the dance floor.”

“And I’m the best one to help?” Damon hesitated. “You could have some professional dancer give you lessons.”

“I’m so over-booked with public engagements that I don’t know how I’d fit it into my schedule before then. The best time for me is late at night since I have trouble sleeping. Besides, you’re practically a professional dancer yourself.”

Damon laughed.

“You remembered that flattery is my Achilles heel. Okay, I’ll help you.”

“Great! But, it’s going to be really hard to dance with you if I can’t touch you. This sort of touch is okay, right?”

“Sure,” he relented.

“Can you show me the merengue?” Elena asked. 

Damon nodded.

Elena led him over to the corner of her bedroom where she had her play list and speakers ready. Six songs later, sweat beaded on their foreheads. Elena decided that Caroline was a genius for suggesting the merengue. She learned how to sway her hips rhythmically to the beat by watching how Damon moved his hips. When she was off beat, he demonstrated by putting his hands on her hips and gently helping her with the movements. When his hands were not on her hips, he was holding her hands in his. 

“You’re pretty good,” Damon commented.

“Liar,” Elena retorted. 

“You’ve got the basic step down. As long as you don’t falter in the step, no matter what your partner does, you will look phenomenal. Watch this.” 

Damon spun Elena around a few times, ending with her back on his chest. Damon turned her to face him again and then used his arms to vary the distance between them, alternating between arm’s length and up close. Elena saw a glint in Damon’s eyes. He was in his element.

“That was so much fun,” she exclaimed.

They took a break for water, settling around the table by the fireplace. Damon had removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie before the dancing began. The top two buttons of his dress shirt were open and the sleeves were rolled up his elbows. He leaned back in his chair.

“I have a confession to make,” Elena said. “I just signed up for this dance-off last night because I wanted an excuse to dance with you.”

Damon cocked his head to the side. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“If you wanted to dance with me, all you had to do was ask.”

“Really? Yesterday, you were all into maintaining the ‘touch boundary.’ ”

“Little good that did,” Damon muttered.

“You have every right to tell me to back off. I just need to speak my mind first: I have feelings for you Damon.”

“No . . . You can’t. You could have anybody you want. There’s nothing special about me,” he protested.

“Well, you’re special to me. You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you feel that way right now, but it won’t last.”

“Now you know my own mind better than I do?” 

“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” Damon explained. “It’s just . . . You and me . . . This can’t happen.” He gestured between the two of them. 

“Why not?”

“It would be highly unprofessional of me,” he explained.

“Is there any other reason?” Elena asked.

“Isn’t that reason enough?”

“I just told you that I have feelings for you, Damon. Now, you’re supposed to tell me how you feel about me.”

“I can’t even entertain the thought because of my work,” he explained.

“If we were in different roles, would you be interested in dating me?”

“It’s irrelevant,” he hedged.

Elena looked down at her hands. How could she have such poor judgment? Either he didn’t feel the same way and he was letting her down easy or she was bothering him when he was trying to do his job. Neither option was good. She needed to let him go. She felt a pain in her chest. She would miss him.

“I’m sorry for pressuring you,” she said, still looking at her hands. She couldn’t bear to look at him. “I would understand if you wanted me to help you transfer to a different position. I would make sure it went smoothly for you. No questions asked.”

“I don’t want that,” Damon said. “But, I’ll go if that’s what you want.”

“No, you can stay,” Elena responded. “I’ll be nothing but professional from here on out. I promise.” 

A tear rolled down her cheek. How could she cry when she just promised that she would act professionally? She got up and turned away, pretending to look out the window. 

“Are you crying?” Damon asked gently. 

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” she protested. 

Elena aimed for nonchalance, but the words came out haltingly. She felt Damon’s hands on her shoulders.

“Elena, you can’t care about me. I come from a broken home. I’ve been arrested. The pinnacle of my existence is my military career. I don’t deserve someone like you. You need to be with someone worthy of your affection who can be a good match for you.”

What was that supposed to mean? That he cared about her but didn’t think he was good enough for her? It did not matter because he had made his position clear. The tears fell even harder and she let out an audible sniffle. This was so embarrassing.

Damon turned her around and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m not worthy of your tears,” he said. “But, by some miracle, you really do care about me, don’t you?”

Still cupping her cheeks in his hands, he slowly brought down his lips to meet hers. Elena’s eyes widened. Isn’t this what he just said that he did not want? 

When his lips met hers, all coherent thoughts were replaced by sensations. A bolt of excitement shot down her spine. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck, moving closer to meld her body with his. Damon deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. He slowly moved his hands down her arms, to her lower back, and pulled her in even closer.

Damon pulled back, resting his forehead on hers and breathing heavily.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he sighed.

“Why did you?”

He gave her a tender look.

“I have feelings for you, too. Seeing you cry . . . I lost myself there for a moment. I’m sorry about that. That can’t happen again. My duty to my country comes first.”

“Okay,” Elena agreed, wishing him goodnight. 

Her lips still tingled from the kiss. His words reverberated in her head. I have feelings for you, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Bonnie glanced down at her file and her notes about Katherine Pierce and Damon Salvatore. This felt more like gossip than intelligence work, but she had come across the information tangentially and, now that she had it, she felt obliged to share. She dialed Elena’s cellphone.

“Hi Bonnie!” she said brightly.

“Elena, I just wanted to report some news related to the background check for Damon Salvatore. It’s not related to any security issue, but I thought you would find it relevant. Jeremy hinted that you were interested in Damon romantically and, if that’s the case, I thought you might want to know something about his love life.”

“I am interested in him, which is why I find Jeremy’s attitude so tiresome. But, I don’t need to know anything about his past. Whoever he dated before is his business.”

“Fair enough. Would you want information about his current love life?”

“Current? What did you find?”

“He’s seeing someone named Katherine Pierce.”

“He told me he didn’t have a significant other.”

“All I know is that she shows up at his flat at odd times and stays for as long as eight hours at a time. They have a rather complicated history.”

“Okay, forget what I said about not wanting to know about the past. What is their history?”

“They dated from ages 17 to 22. They allegedly broke up after he proposed and she said ‘no.’ Some sources say they’ve been seeing each other casually the past two and a half years, but I could only confirm the past three weeks.”

“How could you confirm that?” Elena asked.

“We had eyes on her entering and leaving his flat.”

“You’ve been following him? That’s a bit much. Please stop doing that.”

“Those were Jeremy’s orders. Technically, he’s the one who started this background check. Can you ask him to tell me that?”

“Sure,” Elena agreed, an edge to her voice.

There was a long pause.

“Thanks for telling me,” Elena said, her tone now softer. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Bonnie replied.

Bonnie hung up the phone. Well, that was awkward. Background checks were so much more complicated when done for friends. This was the last time she would agree to something like this, even if it was for the crown prince. 

***

Damon was glad that his scheduled days off fell right after he kissed Elena. He needed some time to collect his thoughts. He replayed the kiss in his head. What the hell was he thinking? He had let his personal feeling get in the way of his sense of duty. That could not happen again. He had already told her as much, so he decided the best course of action was not to mention it again and move forward.

When he showed up at work the following Monday, Elena was noticeably cooler toward him. He reasoned that she was trying to change the dynamic between them. While it made sense for her to keep her distance, he would miss her friendship. 

“Damon, can I talk to you?” Elena asked.

“Shit,” Damon thought to himself. He really did not want to rehash the kiss. 

“When I asked you if you were single, why didn’t you mention Katherine Pierce?” she asked.

Damon froze. How did she even know about Katherine? He just stared at her for a moment, at a loss for words.

“It’s not like that. We’re not in a committed relationship.”

“You misled me by not mentioning her. I would never have come onto you like that if I knew you were seeing someone else. Even if it’s just casual. You should have told me so I could make that decision for myself.”

“I understand,” Damon started. “I was not thinking of it that way. I just figured that nothing was ever going to happen between us, so it wasn’t worth getting into.”

“Something did happen between us Damon,” Elena snapped. “I told you I had feelings for you. You kissed me! You told me you had feelings for me. You have a rather strange definition of ‘nothing happening.’ ”

“I sound like a real tosser when you say it like that. You’re right, I should have told you about her sooner. I’m sorry.”

“Fine,” Elena snapped. “Apology accepted.”

“You’re still mad,” Damon observed.

“How could you be with someone for two and a half years and tell me you have feelings for me? Especially someone you once wanted to marry! Either you lied to me about your feelings for me or you really are a tosser.”

“You read some sort of dossier on my love life? First, that’s a total invasion of my privacy. Second, you don’t have the full story.”

“Jeremy is getting out of control with this background check business, I’ll give you that. You still have a right to a private life. I told him to cut it out. But, I can’t unlearn this piece of information now that I know it. I’d like to understand why you would say that you have feelings for me while you’re with her. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Okay, I’ll tell you. But, this is the last time I want to be cross examined about some detail from this background check. This is getting invasive.”

“You’re right,” Elena admitted. “You don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s not like you and I are starting a relationship. You’ve been pretty clear that you don’t want that.”

“I value your friendship. And, I think it’s going to be hard for you to look at me the same way if you think I’m the type to string women along. So, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay,” Elena agreed.

“Katherine and I went to the same secondary school and a lot of the teenage boys, including myself, and had a huge crush on her. She was beautiful and vivacious. I was surprised when she agreed to go out with me our senior year. But, she didn’t want anything exclusive. I left for the military soon after and didn’t think it was fair for her to wait around for me when I was gone, so I agreed to a non-exclusive relationship. I thought I was in love with her, so I decided to remain committed to her, despite her being okay with me seeing other people. When we were 22, she told me that she was pregnant. I had just gotten back from a tour and knew the baby wasn’t mine. I could not be mad at her because she never lied to me. I saw my chance to win her over and pulled together my meager savings to buy her an engagement ring. I proposed and she practically laughed in my face.”

Damon paused. It was weird how telling the story out loud made it so clear that he had been naïve back then. The older version of himself would have walked away much sooner. 

“It hurt, but it was the kick in the ass I needed to stop mooning over her and get on with my life. We fell out of touch for years. I dated here and there, but it never got serious. In retrospect, I probably avoided a relationship because I never wanted to get hurt like that again. But, with time, I realized that we never really had enough of a foundation for me to truly be in love with her in the first place. I just created a relationship with her in my mind that never actually existed in real life. We got back in touch a couple years ago . . . Wait, let me make sure to get this right. It was two and a half years ago according to your sources?”

Damon arched his eyebrow at Elena.

“I get the point, Damon. I grossly invaded your privacy. I’m sorry.”

“Anyway, we got back in touch and I didn’t have any of those same feelings for her. No love, no hurt, nothing. It was nice to be around someone who was as damaged as myself.”

“Damaged?” Elena asked.

“That’s a whole different story and I’ve only offered up the one. Suffice to say, she understood me because she grew up in the same neighborhood and knew my family. I didn’t have to explain anything about my upbringing to her because her background wasn’t all that different. It was nice to not want anything more from her than she could offer. Neither of us was in a committed relationship, so we, uh…”

“Had sex?” Elena offered.

“Yes. And we continued to get together every so often when the mood struck. Months could go by that I didn’t hear from her and vice versa and there were no hard feelings. I don’t have romantic feelings for her and if that makes me a tosser, so be it. I haven’t gone on more than one or two dates with anyone else since our arrangement started, so I haven’t thought about when I should bring up Katherine. But, I guess you’re right. If someone asks if I’m single, I probably should interpret that question broadly and fill them in,” Damon concluded. “Happy now?” 

“Thank you for telling me,” Elena said.

She glanced down. He just told her more than he had ever shared with anyone else, but she still did not seem satisfied.

“What now?” he asked, a little gruffly.

She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’ve already put you on the spot enough for one evening.”

“Elena, just spit it out.”

“You said that you want to be friends with me, right?”

Damon nodded, apprehensive about where this was going.

“Well, as your friend, I should tell you that you’re still committed to Katherine, even though you said that’s not what she wants. You’ve had no serious relationship in the seven and a half years since she broke your heart? You haven’t gone on a third date with anyone since you started seeing her again over two years ago? And, you think that’s coincidence? You’ve just convinced yourself that you want only what she can offer. You’re still in love with her.” 

“That’s not true!” Damon declared, feeling affronted.

“Maybe you’re just afraid of the truth,” Elena retorted. 

“No, you’re wrong.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I think I’m falling in love with you!” he snapped. 

“Holy shit,” Damon thought. “Did I just say that out loud?”

“I appreciate the sentiment Damon, but you’re not falling in love with me. At least not in the way that I want to be loved. If you loved me like that, you wouldn’t want to be with Katherine. “

Damon’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like her telling him what he felt.

“I never felt about Katherine the way I feel about you. You’re kind, thoughtful, and compassionate. You put other people ahead of yourself, almost to a fault. Katherine is none of those things. My relationship with her has always been superficial.”

Damon waved his hand as if he could erase the words he’d spoken. 

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me. My love for my country comes first. I should not have broached that topic in the first place.” 

Damon turned to leave. She drove him crazy. He intended to remain dispassionate in his interactions with her. Instead, he just told Elena all about his love life and then confessed that he was falling in love with her. He didn’t even want to admit that to himself, but the truth always came tumbling out of his mouth in her presence. 

Damon was still cursing himself for his unpredictable behavior on his drive home. Why did he lack impulse control in her presence? It was good that she rejected his profession of love as he shouldn’t have said it in the first place. So, why did he feel so angry and hurt that she did not believe him? She was getting under his skin. He did not recognize himself like this. 

Damon roughly opened the door to his flat and slammed it shut. He needed to get a grip. He decided to go for a long run to get these emotions out of his system, to get her out of his system. He jerked off his work clothes. Typically, he neatly put all of his clothes in their proper place after taking them off, but tonight threw them in a pile on the floor. The messy pile seemed a good match for the jumble of thoughts in his mind. 

He was just lacing up his trainers when he heard a knock at the door. “Shit,” he thought to himself. He did not want to see Katherine right now, but he might as well get this over with. He opened the door.

“Katherine, come in,” he huffed.

She eyed his workout clothes and his stiff demeanor.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“Come on in and we’ll talk. You need to eat,” he ordered.

He set about chopping onions and peppers with a little more force than usual.

“What’s gotten into you?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you when you eat,” he replied. He continued to cook in silence, banging things around.

He served the omelets, then began to explain.

“Katherine, I can’t have sex with you anymore. I’ve developed feelings for someone else.”

“And here I thought we were making love,” Katherine quipped.

Damon gave her a weak smile.

“So, you’re in a relationship or about to start one?” Katherine asked.

“Not exactly,” Damon replied.

“You’re just mooning after someone and can’t bear the thought of being unfaithful in your heart?”

“Sure, if you want to put it that way.”

“Damon, why do you have to be such a fool? Always loving people you can’t have. Fine. I’ll marry you.”

Damon arched his eyebrows.

“I think my marriage proposal expired when you said ‘no’ eight years ago.”

“Okay, then I’m asking you to marry me. I could live here. I’ll even try to stop sleeping with other people.”

“You’re such a romantic.”

“That’s just it,” she said. “Romance should not be part of the equation. We make a good team.”

“I’m not like you. I can’t marry someone I’m not in love with and I’m not in love with you anymore.” 

Damon thought it would be cruel to add that he did not think he ever was every truly in love with her.

“Did you ever wonder why I never fell in love with you?” she asked. “It’s because I don’t let myself love anyone. When you love, you get hurt you. And, I never wanted to get hurt in that way. It’s perfect now that you’re not in love with me either because we would not hurt each other. Being safe with someone is far better than being in love with them. You and I have that with each other. Safety.”

Damon sighed. 

“You just think that because of your uncle. Most people are not like him.”

Katherine’s uncle had been a sick fuck, but she had not told Damon about him until after he moved out. By that point, Damon could not protect her from him. He wondered if he was still trying to save her to make up for what he could not do then.

Katherine shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter why I am this way. What matters is that you understand me and I understand you. You wouldn’t find that with someone else.”

That was not true. He had already found it, but he did not want to say that since Katherine, clearly, had not found that level of understanding with another person.

“I can still help you feel safe. You can come over and I’ll cook for you. You can’t sleep in my bed, but you can crash on my couch. The offer still stands to help you with rehab if you want it.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Katherine said stiffly, pushing her plate away. “You’re never going to see me again.”

She got up and headed toward the front door.

“Wait, Katherine!” Damon called out, following after her. “You may not need anything from me, but I need something from you: your friendship. I need to know that you’re doing okay. We’ve known each other for 15 years and that means something to me. I don’t want you to stop speaking to me.” 

“I’ll think about it,” Katherine said.

Damon relaxed. That was the closest Katherine would ever come to saying “yes.” 

“Stefan will be home for spring break next week. Do you want to have dinner with us?”

“Maybe,” Katherine replied as she slipped out the door.

***

Enzo met his asset in the back of Railway Tavern. He wore a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and a fuller, fake beard to disguise his facial features. His asset was a waiter with a penchant for illegal substances who sometimes experienced hallucinations and delusions. It was unclear whether the drugs caused the symptoms or if the waiter self-medicated with the drugs, but Enzo did not care. Either way, the asset was perfect. He was easy to manipulate and would make a terrible witness if anybody ever traced this back to him. Enzo shook his hand and passed off a bag with white powder inside.

“This won’t hurt him, right?” the asset asked.

“No, it’s just going to make my friend feel really, really good. He’s going to love it. Just like you loved that batch of pills I gave you. Once you finish up today, you’ll find more under that rock in the park.”

“Okay,” the man agreed and disappeared back inside.

Enzo shook his head. This was almost too easy. Mr. Lucky should really know better than to visit the same pub every Friday. His penchant for predictability made him an easy target. His luck was going to run out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: This chapter contains many mentions of past trauma and may be a trigger for individuals who have experienced trauma.

Elena kept her distance from Damon for the rest of the week. She pretended not to be hyper aware of him, even as she tracked his proximity to her. She had already said everything she wanted to say. Now, she just needed to give him the professional distance he asked for so he could do his job.

On Friday, Elena was at a fundraiser to improve public green spaces in London. She glanced over at Damon and noticed that he did not look so good. He leaned against the wall slightly instead of standing up straight. He appeared a little paler than usual. The changes were slight enough that she would not have noticed if she was not so tuned into him. Why didn’t he call in sick? Would she be invading his privacy again if she asked him about it? Elena decided that a discrete conversation about his wellbeing was professional, so she pulled him aside.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

He looked at her. His eyes looked unfocused.

“No, something is wrong,” he whispered back.

“Why don’t we call in a replacement so you can go home?”

“I’m in no condition to drive and I don’t want anyone to see me like this. I think I’m high on something, but I didn’t take anything, I swear.”

Elena looked him up and down. She could see some beads of sweat forming at his collar. He did seem off, even though the physical symptoms were subtle.

“Did you take any medication recently? Maybe you took the wrong dose or the wrong type?”

“No. Nothing. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Did anybody give you anything to eat and drink at this event? Maybe somebody interpreted ‘green’ to mean marijuana and gave you an edible?”

“Not funny. You know I don’t eat or drink at your events. The last time I ate was when I stopped by a pub for a late lunch just before I came in.”

“Did anybody join you for lunch?”

“No,” he answered.

“Have you seen anyone between when your last shift ended and this one started? Maybe this is somebody’s idea of a joke?” Elena asked, thinking of Katherine.

“No, I’ve been alone.’”

“Damon, if you’ve been drugged, you need to report it to your supervisor and go home,” she reasoned. “You’re in no condition to be here.”

“You’re right. I don’t want to put you in any danger. I just don’t think that anybody will believe that I didn’t take anything. Not with that e-mail your brother got circulating around and his ongoing concern about my drinking. I’ll get dismissed in a heartbeat.”

Elena thought about this for a moment. He had a point. 

“I just need to lie down for a little bit. I’ll be fine,” Damon pleaded.

Elena thought about his predicament. How was she going to find him a place for him to lie down without calling in a replacement? She could feign illness herself, but that would just result in Jo checking in on her repeatedly. She had three meetings to attend after this and Damon could not wait that long.

“Stay here,” Elena ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

Elena got the attention of her assistant, Amber.

“My insomnia was terrible last night and I really need to lie down now. Have my driver pull around now. Can you cancel the rest of my meetings today? Please tell Jo and my family not to check in on me until the morning because I need to sleep.”

Amber nodded and Elena went back to fetch Damon and Harry, the second security guard who would accompany her for the car ride back to the palace. As they piled into the car, Elena noticed that Damon now had some beads of sweat on his brow. It was only April, but she asked the driver to put the air conditioning on full blast. Damon looked a little relieved. She tried not to shiver and mentally apologized to Amber who was also was wearing a short-sleeved frock. 

“Well, this is one of the perks of royalty,” she thought to herself. “Nobody will question me even when I make absurd requests.”

Elena was grateful that it was only a 10 minute drive back to the palace. As they walked down the west wing towards her bedroom, Damon’s eyes were noticeably dilated. She quickly ushered him into her bedroom and shut the door.

“Why is everyone screaming into this thing,” Damon exclaimed, tearing his earpiece out. It dangled down his chest by the cord.

“Quick, show me how to use your earpiece before you get any worse,” Elena demanded.

“You can’t pass for me using my ear piece Elena,” Damon said. “You’re a female and I’m a male. They will not believe that you are me.”

“No, Damon, they will not believe that. If they need you, I will tell you something short to say. But, I need to monitor the line for you.”

“Well, the earpiece goes in your ear. And you listen through it.”

“Very informative, Damon.”

“Stop screaming at me.”

“Trust me, you’ll know when I start screaming at you and I’m not there yet.”

She removed his jacket and followed the cord for the earpiece down his shirt to where it was clipped on his tie. She undid the top buttons of his shirt so she could pull out the cord. 

“Ohhh. I love it when you undress me E-len-ahhh,” he slurred. “That feels so good. Let’s just take my whole shirt off.” 

Damon pulled off his tie and unbuttoned the rest of the buttons. He looked sweaty, so Elena didn’t try to stop him. As he pulled off his shirt, Elena noticed a jagged, white scar across his right shoulder. That must be the spot where his father got him with the broken bottle, she thought. When he moved his hand down to his belt, Elena jumped to action.

“No! Your trousers definitely stay on.”

“You don’t have to yell so loudly,” he protested.

“Sorry. I guess I did yell that time.”

Elena pulled off his shoes and socks and rolled up his trousers. That should keep him cool.

Elena examined the earpiece and cord. She noticed a button on the end of the cord where it was fastened to his tie.

“So, I just press this button if you need to talk? Otherwise, they can’t hear us?”

“Bingooooooo!” Damon exclaimed. “You’re so smart and beautiful. I love you so much. Now, come over here and kiss me.”

“I think you would love a loaf of bread right now. And, no kissing.”

“You’re no fun,” Damon pouted.

Elena put the earpiece in her ear. She listened for a moment and decided that she could help Damon mimic the lingo if necessary. All the messages seemed to follow a predictable pattern. 

“Damon, what is your codename?”

“It’s Sexy Beast,” Damon joked.

“Damon, focus, what do the other security guards call you?”

“They call me Lucky because I am the luckiest man in the world because I get to spend so much time with you, gorgeous. Did I mention how much I love you?”

He was no help, so she would just have to listen for it. She heard reference to Lucky keeping an eye on Gem back in her room.

“Wait, you are Lucky, Damon.”

“See, I told you!”

“How’d you get that nickname?”

“Got it in the military because I was lucky to escape my past. Also, lucky that Ric cut me so many breaks. I love that man. So much.”

“I’m sure you do. I think you love everyone right now. Why am I Gem?”

“I don’t know. They came up with that one before I started. I think it’s because you’re the precious Gem that we all need to protect. I can’t protect you from all the way across the room. Why don’t you come crawl into bed with me?” He reached a hand out.

“Hands to yourself,” Elena scolded. Damon dropped his outstretched hand like a child who had just been scolded.

“What is Jeremy’s codename?”

“It should be Knob. You know, because he’s such a knob.” 

Damon started laughing. Elena decided not to scold him for the insult because he was too high to know what he was saying.

Next, Elena began to focus on how to get Damon medical attention without getting him into trouble. She could not call Jo because she was on staff. A friend of hers, Meredith Fell, was a doctor and just might be willing to help. Elena picked up the phone to call her. 

Damon interrupted her.

“I ended things with Katherine. So, now you know how much I love you.”

“Yes, you love me, Damon. I got it.”

“I’m serious. When I get my cell phone from my car, I can forward you our text exchange after we had our talk.”

“I’m not going to invade your privacy like that.”

“I want you to invade my privacy, E-len-ahhh,” he continued slurring. “Please, invade all of my privacy.”

“Shhh, Damon, I’m on the phone.”

“Hi, Meredith. I need a favor . . . ”

Meredith agreed to listen to the symptoms and tell Elena whether to take her friend to the hospital. She said that his symptoms were consistent with molly. Meredith gave Elena a list of other symptoms to look for that would merit hospitalization, such as hallucinations that caused extreme agitation and signs of cardiac distress. Otherwise, she advised that the drug should be out of his system in about three to six hours from the time he was first exposed.

“Good news, Damon,” Elena concluded. “You don’t have to go to the hospital unless something changes. The drug should be out of your system by the end of your shift.”

“Great! Let’s celebrate!” Damon jumped out of bed and ran over to the speakers.

“How do you turn on your music? Let’s dance,” he exclaimed.

“You should sleep this off.”

“I have too much energy to sleep! I don’t think I’ll ever need to sleep again!”

“Damon, I’m supposed to be sleeping, remember? Don’t you think it would be suspicious if I start playing music?”

“Okay, I’ll dance without music.” 

Damon started moving around her bedroom. It would have been comical if he wasn’t such a good dancer. He moved so rhythmically that she was half convinced that he was hallucinating music. His broad shoulders tapered down into his trim waist. As he danced, his trousers fell lower on his hips and she could clearly see the dimples on his back near his hip bone. She made a mental note not to ogle him while he was vulnerable. She would not appreciate it if someone did that to her.

“Come join me. Please, E-len-ahhh. It’s no fun dancing alone.” He held out his outstretched hand.

Elena relented. Maybe the dancing would help him stay calm. She took his hand.

“Let’s dance how we did at the club,” Damon suggested, pulling her in close.

Elena tried to distract him.

“I need help for the charity dance-off, remember? And, they won’t do that type of dance. I have to learn disco, swing, salsa, and the waltz.” 

“Okay, let’s start with disco.” Damon began spinning her around and making exaggerated movements with his hands. 

As they worked through the dances, Elena made sure Damon took periodic breaks to drink water. He was sweating so much and she did not want him to get dehydrated. During a water break, Damon looked pensively off into the corner.

“There are things about my past that I never tell anyone. Very dark things. Do you know why I don’t open up to people?”

Elena was not sure what to make of his sudden shift in moods. She hoped he did not have a “bad trip.” At least he was saying her name normally again

“Why is that?” Elena asked.

“Because people will either not believe me or pity me. And, I don’t know which is worse.”

“That sounds lonely,” Elena offered.

“It is lonely. Very lonely. But, I’m going to tell you because I trust you. I think you’re the first person I’ve trusted this much.”

“Damon, you don’t have to tell me anything. Especially not while you’re high. Wait until you feel better and then decide if you still want to tell me.”

“No, I’m going to tell you!” Damon shouted.

“I don’t think that you should be making any big revelations right now,” she insisted.

He walked up to her and cupped her face in his hands, looking at her intently.

“You can’t kiss me again,” Elena croaked out. “Not while you’re high.”

“I know,” Damon said. “I’m not trying to kiss you. I just want to look at you. I like how you look at me with those big, brown eyes. Like you would place all your faith in me if I let you.”

“I would,” Elena admitted. “But, you won’t let me.”

“I have my reasons for being so guarded. I think you’re going to look at me differently once you know, so I just want to enjoy these last few moments before I tell you.”

Damon paused and studied her face. “You really do trust me, don’t you?” he asked, running his hands up and down her shoulders.

“Yes,” Elena replied.

“You believed me when I told you that I did not take anything to get high. You know, 99.99 percent of people would not believe me.”

“That’s a pretty exact percentage. I don’t think you give people enough credit,” she retorted.

“And you give people too much credit. You’re not jaded like me. That’s one of the things that I love about you.”

Damon sounded so sincere that Elena felt hope soar within her chest. She had to remind herself that he was high.

Damon stared at her in silence for another minute, his gaze piercing hers as if he was searching for something in her. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead and he looked so innocent, like a lost child.

“I’m going to tell you now,” he exclaimed.

“Damon, I really don’t think you should tell me anything – ”

Damon placed his hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of her words. Elena was not sure how to change his mind if he would not let her talk. Using a distraction method, she pulled one of his fingers into her mouth and sucked on it.

“Oh, that feels so good,” Damon exclaimed. He proceeded to moan even more loudly. 

“It couldn’t feel that good,” Elena thought. “He is definitely still high.”

Damon suddenly pulled his hand away. 

“I know what you’re trying to do Elena. You don’t want to know.”

He walked over to the chair by the fireplace and sat with his head in his heads.

“Nobody wants to know,” he said, talking to nobody in particular. 

Elena felt a pain rip through her chest. Whatever he wanted to confess was eating at him. She walked over and stood before him.

“Damon, it’s not that I don’t want you to share things with me. I just want you to do it when you are sober. Okay?”

“That’s just it. I won’t talk about it when I’m sober and I won’t talk about it with anyone but you. So, maybe it was fate that somebody drugged me. Maybe I was meant to be here, with you, in this moment so I could tell you.”

“Damon, how about if we dance again? Then, if you still feel like telling me after we dance, you can?”

They had been in her room for two and a half hours. She hoped she could distract him for another half hour and then the drug might leave his system.

“Okay,” Damon agreed.

Damon started teaching her some salsa moves. He seemed to be sobering up because the instructions were actually coherent. A half hour easily passed. Elena asked him to teach her even more moves, hoping to distract him longer. Another half hour passed and Damon was sweating less. He even put his shirt back on and rolled down his trousers. A smile spread across his face. He seemed as though he was having fun, but he was not acting quite as over-the-top as he had before. Damon spun her around and pulled her back into him, looking her square in the eye.

“Elena, my father sexually abused me from when I was 7 until that night that I beat the shit out of him when I was 17. Stefan had just turned 7 a few weeks before and I was terrified of him hurting my little brother. That fear, coupled with what he was doing to my mum, put me over the edge. I just lost it. I never told anybody because he had me convinced that nobody would believe me.”

Elena’s eyes widened. Her heart filled with love for this man who was so strong and had been through so much. Remembering the fears he had expressed earlier, she chose her words carefully.

“I believe you Damon,” she said. “This doesn’t change anything about how I feel about you. If anything, it makes me admire you more. You’re good, brave, and strong and I gladly put all of my faith into your capable hands.”

Tears started running down Damon’s cheeks. Elena hugged him and he placed his head on her shoulder. His tears turned into racking sobs that convulsed his whole body. Elena walked him over to the bed and laid him down next to her, his head tucked under her chin. 

She stroked his hair as he continued to cry. The tears eventually stopped and he fell asleep. Elena looked at his dark lashes splayed out over his pale cheeks. She could not understand how anyone could wound such a beautiful man this deeply, least of all his father. She kissed his eyelids.

“Sleep well, Damon,” she whispered. 

Elena tried to get out of bed, but Damon held her in a vice-like grip, like a boy clutching a teddy bear. She did not want to wake him, so she laid there and looked at the ceiling, cursing Damon’s father.

As the end of his shift approached, Elena nudged Damon awake. His eyes fluttered open and his crystalline eyes looked at her with such awe that she surmised he was still dreaming.

“Your shift is over in 45 minutes. How are you feeling?”

Damon stretched his arms and legs. 

“I actually feel okay. Sober.”

“Even so, I don’t want you to drive. I’m going to have my driver take you home. We’ll just say you had some car problems and I was awake to help you because of my insomnia.” 

“Okay,” he agreed.

“Do you want to freshen up before you leave? You can use my shower.” 

Although his sweat had evaporated, Damon’s hair was still plastered on his forehead and Elena thought he might arouse suspicion with his appearance.

“I actually feel pretty gross,” he agreed.

Damon emerged from the bathroom showered and dressed, looking fresh.

“You should use my hair dryer. We can’t have people asking questions about your wet hair.”

“I’ll just tell people you had an emergency in the shower and I had to save you,” Damon said with a wink.

Elena laughed.

Damon ran his fingers through his short, black hair.

“I’ve never used a hair dryer before,” he admitted.

Elena pulled out the hairdryer in her bathroom and showed him how to adjust the heat. When he emerged again, she handed him his earpiece.

“I think you’re ready to have this back now.”

Damon grabbed his earpiece and her hand, not letting it go.

“Thank you so much Elena. For everything.”

He turned to head back into the salon and Elena called after him.

“Wait, Damon! I won’t see you again until Monday and I’d like to know how you’re doing before then. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Damon agreed, turning to leave again.

“Can I have your phone number?”

“It’s in my file,” Damon commented absentmindedly.

“Or you could just give it to me like normal people do.”

Damon chuckled and wrote it down for her. Elena wrote down her cellphone number and handed it to him in case he needed anything before she called.

“This normal enough for you?” Damon asked as they traded the slips of paper.

“No,” Elena replied. “But, it’s a start.” 

***

Elena wanted to call Damon first thing Sunday morning but, remembering that he was on a different sleep schedule, she waited until late afternoon.

“Hi, Elena,” Damon answered.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Good,” Damon answered. “Thank you for everything you did on Friday.”

“Damon, maybe you should report the incident. First, that e-mail to my brother. Now this. Somebody is trying to set you up.”

“I know, but – even if they believe me – I made the wrong call by not leaving immediately. I shouldn’t have stayed on the job when I was not alert.”

“You weren’t in the right state of mind to make decisions on Friday,” she said. “As for my safety, given that I didn’t leave my room, I was not in any danger.”

There was a long pause. Damon seemed unconvinced.

“What if you don’t report it?” she proposed. “What if, instead, we ask my friend at the NCA, Bonnie, to continue to keep eyes on you? Let her know to look for suspicious activity targeting you?”

“Okay,” Damon sighed, still seeming unconvinced.

“I also wanted to let you know that I won’t bring up anything up from Friday,” Elena continued. “I don’t know what you remember, but it’s up to you whether you want to revisit anything when you’re sober.”

“I remember all of it. Our conversations. The dancing. My professions of love. Even our more serious talk. And, I’m fine with talking about it all.”

Elena paused. She had not expected that response. She googled the symptoms of molly and learned that it was not unusual for people to profess their love for others while high on the drug, so she did not expect to revisit that topic. She wondered what Damon might say about his feelings for her. 

“It’s true that I ended things with Katherine,” Damon continued. “I saw how continuing to be with her was holding me back from being open to a new relationship. As for my feelings for you, they’re irrelevant. Nothing can ever happen between us. My commitment to the Royal Guard means too much to me. With regard to my father, it felt good to finally tell somebody. Thank you for listening.”

“I’m glad you told me about your father. This is not your secret to keep. If anybody should feel ashamed, it’s him. You know, if you ever feel ready, you could report him to the police.”

“I know. I don’t feel ready.”

“I understand,” Elena said. She hesitated a moment, but ultimately decided to test the waters regarding their relationship. “I understand your loyalty to our country. I feel constantly torn between my public responsibilities and my personal identity. At some point, don’t we also have a duty to ourselves? To pursue our own happiness?”

“Elena . . . ” he sounded pained. “Being in the Royal Guard is everything to me. It’s my identity. It’s also how I help support my mum and brother. They’ve been through so much already. I just want things to be easier for them now.”

“What if you transferred positions?” Elena asked. “Would it be less of a conflict of interest if you were not guarding me?”

“I’d instead be guarding your parents or brother. I don’t see that going over really well if I was seeing you. Can we be friends instead?” Damon asked. “My supervisor said it’s not uncommon for people to become friends with their bodyguards, so I don’t think that would be a conflict of interest.”

“I already am your friend Damon. I’m not going to turn my back on you just because you won’t date me.”

When Elena hung up the phone, she felt simultaneously happy that he had opened up to her and sad that she would not have the opportunity to deepen their connection. Her relationship with Damon was so bittersweet.

***

Bonnie walked into Alaric’s office, feeling a bit apprehensive. She usually initiated interviews for her investigations, but he had requested this one. She shook his hand firmly, eyeing him up and down. 

“Have a seat Ms. Bennet,” Alaric ordered.

“I’m fine standing, Officer Saltzman,” Bonnie replied. Despite her lack of a military title, she had the upper hand here. 

“I understand that you are redoing the background check for one of my best men, Sergeant Damon Salvatore.”

“Yes,” Bonnie nodded. “A direct order from His Royal Highness.”

Bonnie smiled tightly. She knew that such an order trumped even the highest ranking member of the Royal Guard.

“The investigation was prompted by the e-mail His Royal Highness received,” Alaric continued. “If your investigation is thorough, you’ll find out who sent that e-mail, right?”

He was challenging her to broaden her investigation. She wasn’t going to take the bait.

“It’s my understanding that the Royal Guard is already investigating that aspect. You certainly don’t need NCA’s help.”

“Actually, we do. We’ve run into some dead ends on our end,” Alaric offered. 

Bonnie was surprised that he backed down first. Maybe he was not so bad after all. He pulled out some files from his desk and offered them to Bonnie. Bonnie took a seat and leafed through the files.

“I have a hunch that they’re both related, the e-mail and the pictures of Her Royal Highness. They are close in time and both show the same level of technical skill. If you find anything out about who sent that e-mail, you also might help us eliminate a threat to Her Royal Highness.”

Bonnie nodded.

“Okay. I’m on it.”

“There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about with regard to Damon. But, I need your discretion.”

“I don’t know if I can offer that until I hear what you have to say.”

“Okay. I hope that you’ll understand once I tell you everything. I first became acquainted with Damon when he was 17. Judge Walt Davies, a good friend of mine, oversaw his assault trial. Damon’s psychological work-up showed signs of physical and sexual abuse perpetuated by his father, Giuseppe. However, Damon refused to answer any direct questions on the topic. There was some evidence that Giuseppe was physically abusing Damon’s mother, Lily. This was substantiated by people living in the neighboring flats. However, his mother denied the abuse.”

Alaric sighed, then continued on.

“You won’t find it on the record because this evidence was not admissible in court. The projective testing the psychologist used was not considered an exact enough science to be admissible. Also, British law at the time only considered proximate threat for purposes of self-defense and neither Damon nor Lily were being threatened by their father at the time of the incident.”

Alaric made a face, clearly showing that he disagreed with that law. 

“Walt knew that I helped troubled youth by mentoring them and I agreed to recruit Damon into the military. In return for his service, Walt placed him on probation and expunged the charge from his permanent record. I had no doubt when I met Damon that he had been abused. I saw similar patterns of defiance in other youth who had the same background. Through a lot of hard work, Damon got on the right path and has had a very successful military career.”

Alaric leaned forward and looked at Bonnie intently. 

“I ask for your discretion with what I’m sharing with you for two reasons: First, Walt should not have discussed with me evidence that was not public record. He did so only because the case troubled him so much and he knew that I would keep his confidence. You’re the first person I’m telling. I hate betraying my friend’s confidence, but I think the circumstances warrant it now. Second, while it would be fine to document the physical abuse, I feel strongly that – if there was sexual abuse – it is Damon’s story to tell.”

Bonnie nodded. She was really starting to like Officer Saltzman.

“I understand and I will be discrete,” Bonnie replied. “I’ll be extra thorough for this report. Of course, I will need to investigate Giuseppe Salvatore to make sure I cover all my bases. If in the course of my investigation I find that he is breaking any laws, including laws related to minors, I would need to hand that information over to the local police.”

Alaric smiled broadly.

“It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Bennett. I look forward to working with you.”

“Please, call me Bonnie.”

“Okay, only if you’ll call me Ric.”

They shook hands and walked out together. Bonnie decided that Ric would make an excellent friend.

***

Damon had enjoyed three weeks of calm at work. He and Elena were falling into an easy friendship. It had been weeks since Damon was overcome by emotion at work. However, as he stood guard during one of Elena’s meetings, he was overcome with anger and distress. Why did she betray his trust? His thoughts must have been written all over his face because she shot him a wide-eyed look, as if to ask, “What did I do?” She had the uncanny ability to look at him and know when something was wrong. That connection made it hard for Damon to put on a false front. 

Elena was still engaged in conversation, but she paused to get out her cellphone and sent a text. She looked pointedly at Damon. Apparently, she did not know that he could not carry his personal cell at work. He just shrugged his shoulders, smiling a little bit because he was glad to let her squirm. She glared at him. 

When the meeting ended, she turned to her assistant.

“Amber, can you let my next appointment know that I’m running behind schedule? I need to have a few words with Damon about a security matter.”

The room cleared out.

“Go to your meeting, Elena,” Damon barked. “This can wait.”

“I can hardly focus with the animosity radiating off of you. What is your problem?”

“You need to stop trying to fix everyone around you! Especially when they don’t want your help! You just make things worse.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” Damon said, looking at her pointedly. “My father was arrested this afternoon. I got a panicked call from Stefan just before my shift started. I could only talk to him for a few minutes because I did not want to be late, but from what I could make out, he’s being held on charges of child molestation.”

Elena’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Oh,” she said.

“How did you do it?” he asked. “He shouldn’t be arrested for something that happened so long ago. You know the charges won’t stick. It will only tear my family apart!”

“This wasn’t me,” Elena said.

“Of course it was you!” Damon shot back. “Just a few weeks after I told you what happened! Did you really think I would not figure it out? How could you violate my trust like that?”

“It wasn’t me, Damon,” Elena repeated, softly this time.

“It had to be you. You just snap your fingers and the police swoop in.”

“Damon, did it ever occur to you that maybe he hurt someone else?” Elena asked quietly.

Expressions of anger, confusion, sadness, and shock flashed across Damon’s face.

“Oh,” he said, looking a bit stunned.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“What if he hurt Stefan?” Damon asked weakly. “I need to talk to Stefan.”

Elena nodded. “You can use my phone.”

“No, I can’t have that conversation here. It will have to wait until tomorrow. He’ll be asleep by the time I get off work. How am I going to wait that long?”

“Damon, go home.”

“I can’t let my personal emotions get in the way of the mission, Elena.”

“Damon, go home.”

“No,” he responded stubbornly.

“Damon, go home sick.”

“I do feel sick,” he agreed.

“It’s settled then. We’re calling in your replacement.” 

Damon checked out of work in a haze. Harry showed up to replace him. In one breath, Harry teased Damon for looking like shit and, in the next, he told Damon that he hoped he felt better soon. 

Damon stumbled out to his car and glanced in his rearview mirror. His face was ashen and he felt like he was going to throw up. At least he wasn’t lying about feeling sick. He drove a few blocks outside of work and powered on his cellphone at a red light. There were two texts from Elena. The first one read, “What’s wrong?” The second one said, “I’ll be thinking of you. Just call me if you want to talk later.” 

Damon was eager to speak with Stefan. He thought about calling him while he drove, but decided he would hardly be able to concentrate on driving. Hell, right now, he could barely concentrate on basic motor movements. How could he be so naïve to believe that his father was only abusing him? He knew the answer to that. His dad made him believe it, telling him that it was their “special” connection. He wished he had seen through the deception sooner.

Damon arrived back at his flat and settled around his kitchen table. He placed his cellphone in front of him and stared at it. “Did he really want to know?” he asked himself. He decided it was best to get it over with. He robotically picked up the phone and called Stefan.

“Damon?” Stefan asked confused. “I thought you were at work.”

“I was, but I couldn’t concentrate. We need to talk.”

“They’re not releasing Dad on bail!” Stefan said frantically. “The police are saying something about needing to gather more evidence and invoking the Bail Act. Should I get a ride to Blackpool to check in on him? I don’t know what to do! Do you think he’s being set up?”

“I think he did it,” Damon replied. “He did it to me.”

“What!?” Stefan exclaimed.

“Dad sexually abused me from when I was 7 until 17. That’s part of why I went off on him that one night. That and what he did to mum.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

“He used to leave bruises on mum,” Damon continued.

Damon heard quiet cries on the other end of the phone.

“Stefan, I need you to be honest with me. Did he ever hurt you?”

The cries continued and got louder.

“Stefan, it’s okay. You can tell me anything.”

“Damon, I’m so sorry,” Stefan sobbed. He sounded as though he was in agonizing pain. “I didn’t know. About you or mum. That explains why you don’t speak to him. I thought you two stopped speaking because of that fight. And I blamed you for instigating the fight! I’ve been such a bad brother. I’m so sorry.”

“Stefan, it’s okay. You were so much younger than me and we wanted to shield you. Mum hid it well. I didn’t tell anybody until now. I would do anything to protect my baby brother.”

Stefan let out a loud sob and tears started sliding down Damon’s cheeks.

“Stefan, you never answered my question. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I need to ask. Did he ever abuse you?”

“No,” Stefan answered. “He never hurt me. I just don’t understand how he could do that to you! Our own father! I hope he rots in prison.”

Damon felt relief and confusion at the same time. How could their father be such a good dad to Stefan and not to him? What was it about him that was so unlovable?

After he got off the phone with Stefan, Damon had an equally painful conversation with his mum. Then, he called the Blackpool police. He introduced himself and explained that he might have information relevant to Giuseppe Salvatore. They welcomed the information and scheduled an interview for the next day. 

When Damon got off the last call, he felt relieved and tired. He looked at his phone and wondered if he should call Elena. He found that his phone was ringing her before he had finished thinking it over. Apparently, his instincts had taken over.

“Damon, I’ve been thinking about you. I’m so glad you called! How are you doing?” She sounded worried.

“Hanging in there. I talked to Stefan and my mum. They had no clue. My mum is blaming herself. Thankfully, Stefan said our dad never abused him.”

“I wish I could be there to give you a hug,” Elena said.

“Me too,” Damon agreed.

“Okay, then I’m coming!”

Damon laughed. “No, please don’t. You can’t come without your entourage and I really don’t want any of my colleagues over here right now. It’s better if I’m alone.”

Elena sighed.

“Can I at least order you some food? You shouldn’t have to cook tonight.”

“Elena,” Damon warned. “Stop trying to fix everything.”

“I do have a tendency to do that, don’t I? Sorry,” Elena said sheepishly.

“It’s okay. It shows you care.” Damon continued, “I won’t be in tomorrow. I have an interview with the Blackpool Police. I’m going to tell them what happened to me in case they want me to testify against my father.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.”

“My dad could talk to whichever judge gets assigned,” she offered, “encourage the judge to give your dad a stiff sentence without you having to testify.”

“As tempting as it is to stick the king on my father, I don’t want you or your family to get involved. Let me handle this on my own.”

“Okay,” Elena agreed.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being such a good friend.”

“Of course,” she replied.

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting right now?” he asked.

“I excused myself to talk to you,” she said. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

As Damon said goodbye, he no longer doubted whether he was loveable.

***

When Damon arrived back at work, Elena was at a fundraiser, listening to a banal speech about horticulture. She locked eyes with him and smiled. He smiled back and nodded his head slightly in greeting. When the time neared for Elena to go on stage to give talking points about the importance of preserving endangered plant species, Damon followed and positioned himself behind her in the wing of the stage. 

“I want to give you hug, but I can’t right now,” Elena whispered. “So, I’m going to do the next best thing.”

Knowing that those seated in the far edge might be able to see them, Elena kept it subtle. She reached her hand back, slightly grazing his fingers. His breathing stopped for a moment and he ran his index finger over her palm, acknowledging the touch. Keeping their fingers touching, Elena stepped back, rubbing her shoulder against his chest ever so slightly. She glanced back quickly and saw warmth in his eyes.

Just as they called her on stage, she leaned back and whispered, “I’m glad you’re back.” Then she was off to the podium. She glanced over at him as she was giving her speech. He looked at her with such warmth that she pulled from her years of speech training to stay on point.


	7. Chapter 7

"Just admit it, I’m a lost cause,” Elena moaned. 

It was the day of the charity dance-off and Elena felt her nerves growing as the time for the event approach.

“Well, usually people turn when I try to spin them, but you’re just nervous,” Damon replied. “You’ll be fine.”

Elena could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Damon had given her a total of four dance lessons, if you counted the time he was on drugs, but it was not enough. She was trying to squeeze in one last lesson before she left for the event.

“This is your fault!” Elena accused. “I only signed up for this because I was trying to seduce you. That didn’t work. Now, I’m stuck dancing and I’m not a good dancer.”

“It’s my fault that you’re terrible at seduction?” Damon’s challenged. 

“Caroline said it would work! It’s her fault then,” Elena sighed.

“Caroline is so Hollywood. She must have gotten the idea from Dirty Dancing or Silver Linings Playbook.”

Elena started laughing. “It’s funny when you put it that way.”

Elena paused for a moment, then a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. 

“I have an idea!”

“Whatever it is, the answer is ‘no.’ You look like you’re up to no good,” Damon quipped.

“You should take pity on me and let me kiss you.”

“No, Elena. You know how I feel about just staying friends.”

“And, we will stay friends. All I’m asking for is a five-minute break from being friends so I can kiss you. That way, when I make a fool out of myself dancing, I can feel confident knowing that at least I got a kiss out of all of this.”

“Your logic is so sound,” Damon said sarcastically.

“As for professional distance, I’ll be the one coming onto you. You can hardly blame yourself for someone making a pass at you at work. You’ll, of course, rebuff my advances after five minutes.”

“Wow, Socrates, I can’t poke any holes into that reasoning.”

“Fine,” Elena relented. “Forget that I mentioned it.”

“No, I’ll do it. But, it’s not because of your weak sales pitch,” he teased.

“Then why?”

“Why do you think?” Damon asked incredulously. “I like kissing you. But, this will be the last time.”

“Yes, the last time,” Elena agreed. “Okay, set your watch for five minutes.”

“Seriously?”

“Just go along with it.”

“Okay, fine,” he agreed, setting the timer on his watch.

“Now sit down in the chair,” she ordered.

“This is part of why royals are so terrible at seduction. They mistake giving orders for sexiness.”

“You’re incorrigible,” she accused.

“Yet, you want to kiss me.”

“Shhh! You’re running down the clock.”

Damon pretended to zip his lips shut, then locked eyes with her. His eyes were filled with amusement. His lips curled up into a smirk. She would wipe that smug look off of his face.

Elena walked over and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She nuzzled his neck with her nose and then brought her face up to his. She gently rubbed her nose against his and moved back to look at him. He looked even more amused.

“I can hear your internal dialog Damon. You’re thinking, ‘This is what you fought so hard for? Nuzzles?’”

Damon shrugged his shoulders, then nodded, refusing to speak.

Elena ran her lips across his. They felt so soft, but she did not want to kiss him just yet.

“It’s okay that I’m terrible at seduction because I don’t want to seduce you anymore. I want you to meet me halfway. You can kiss me if you want to.” 

Without hesitation, Damon brought his hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her down into a rough kiss. His other hand grabbed her back, pulling her in closer. Elena met his forcefulness with her own, her tongue darting against his. Her hands found where his shirt was tucked into his trousers and she pulled out a shirttail, opening up enough room for her hand to dart under the shirt. She ran her hand across his stomach and up his chest. Pulling his lower lip into her mouth, she alternated sucking and nibling on it. A soft moan escaped Damon’s mouth. 

The piercing noise of Damon’s alarm reverberated through the room.

“Ignore that,” he muttered, still holding her in his arms.

“No,” she said, pushing back and jumping off of him. “Time’s up. See, that wasn’t so bad!” she declared playfully.

Damon looked a little dazed. If anyone was smug now, it was her. He tucked his shirttail back into his trousers.

“You cheated. I don’t remember telling you that you could start to take off my shirt.”

“Oh, sorry,” Elena intoned.

“No, it was quite alright,” he replied.

“Do you want to do it again and this time you could start to take off my shirt to make it fair?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“Of course I do, but I’m not going to. You’re a bad influence.”

“The worst,” Elena agreed.

***

Enzo adjusted his tie. Tonight was a big night. He moonlighted for a security company and was assigned to the Connaught Hotel for the charity dance-off. The hotel ramped up security once they found out that the princess would be participating in the event. Enzo was stationed in the ballroom, near the entrance where the participants would enter. His plan had been in place for the past two months, but he had been waiting for the right opportunity. This event practically fell into his lap. Who was the lucky one now? 

Four members of the Royal Guard arrived early to sweep the hotel and get in position. They did not search him, of course. Even if they had, the small bottle of cologne in his pocket hardly appeared threatening. Everyone was so easy to fool.

When the event was about to start, Princess Elena arrived with Damon and another bodyguard who Enzo did not recognize. Enzo caught Damon’s eye. 

“Damon, it’s been a long time!” he said, smiling broadly. Enzo projected his voice with intention.

“Good to see you Enzo. I’ll have to catch up with you later.”

Damon continued to walk past him. That bastard. 

“You know him? Let’s stop and say hello,” Princess Elena insisted. 

Enzo was counting on Princess Elena overhearing his greeting. Due to her empathetic nature, he hoped she would bring Damon to him. If that didn’t work, he would try to intercept them on their way out. If all else failed, he would wait for the next event. Enzo was a very patient man. 

As Princess Elena, Damon, and a third bodyguard approach him, Enzo reached into his pocket and firmly squeezed the bottle of cologne, spraying it into his right hand. 

Enzo offered his hand and Damon shook it firmly.

“How have you been?” Damon asked.

“Great!” Enzo lied. His life had been a living hell up until recently, but he felt great now. “I’m helping with security for the Connaught Hotel tonight as part of my private security gig. I see you’ve stuck with the military.” 

“Yes, I’m hoping to retire from the military,” Damon replied. “I’m glad private security is working out so well for you. Unfortunately, I can’t talk now. Do you want to get together and catch up? You could leave your contact information at the front desk and I can swing by and pick it up when I’m off work.”

“Sounds good,” Enzo agreed. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Elena,” Enzo said turning to her and offering his hand. The princess was eying the ballroom apprehensively. She looked nervous. Little did she know just how nervous she should feel. 

“It’s always nice to meet a friend of Damon’s,” she replied absentmindedly. 

The princess had not taken his hand because she had not seen it. Damn her. If all else failed, at least he had taken Damon down. Messing with the princess to make Damon look like a failure was just another way to take him down. That is, if Damon lived to see it. 

“I know I’m not supposed to ask this, but my little niece is totally enamored with you. Would you be willing to take a picture with me? I know it would mean so much to her.” 

“Sure,” Elena agreed.

“No,” Damon rebuffed. “We have to keep moving. We’ll send him a photo.”

“Yes, let’s keep going,” the second security guard insisted. His badge read Henry Wilson.

“Stop it both of you,” Elena ordered. “A photo takes just a minute and I don’t mind.”

She turned to Enzo. “You’ll have to excuse them. They’re a bit overprotective.”

“The best bodyguards are,” Enzo said with a smile.

Enzo knew that his superiors would want to reprimand him later for taking a photo with the princess, but it hardly mattered given the circumstances. Just for good measure, he sprayed more cologne onto his hand before grabbing the cellphone. He pointedly handed the phone to Damon. That bastard. After Damon took the picture, Enzo offered his hand to Elena.

“My niece is going to love this. Thank you so much!” he exclaimed.

“It was my pleasure,” Elena replied, taking his hand. 

Enzo watched their retreating backs. It was not much longer before the Novichok nerve agent would take over his body. After 15 minutes, he felt the muscles in his body begin to contract. As the muscles in his throat tightened, Enzo’s breath became labored. He smiled, knowing that it was causing the same damage right now to Damon and Princess Elena. 

The military was wrong. He would have made a great soldier. He knew it would be impossible to kidnap the princess. The only way to get to her was to use an invisible weapon in plain sight. This stealth mission required a soldier willing to sacrifice his own life for the cause. He had done it. He had proved once and for all that Alaric should have chosen him and not Damon. Mission accomplished. He smiled deliriously as he started to froth at the mouth. 

“Enzo, are you okay?” another member of his security team shouted. “We need medical attention here!”

As he lost consciousness, the smile remained on his waxy face, froth seeping out of the corner of his mouth.

***

As Damon escorted Elena toward the dance floor for the salsa number, he started gasping for air. 

“Are you okay Damon?” she asked.

His gasps got louder. Suddenly, he collapsed and started frothing and the mouth.

“Damon! Somebody get help!” Elena screamed, throwing herself down on the ground, grasping his shoulders and leaning over to look at his face.

Harry pulled her off Damon with a firm grip and started moving her out of the room. He spoke into his earpiece.

“Lucky is down. Initiate emergency protocol. Evacuation of Gem in progress. Suspect is a 6’1” Caucasian male. Medium build. Dark brown eyes and hair. Has facial hair. Identifies self as Enzo and claims to be with hotel security.”

Elena struggled against Harry’s strong grasp. He was pulling her away from Damon and leaving him all alone. 

“Somebody help him! Damon!” she screamed, trying to run back toward him.

Harry ignored her cries and continued to drag her out of the room. Elena was about to protest further, but it felt as though someone’s fingers were tightening around her neck, strangling her. What was happening? She started coughing heavily, gasping for air. Before she could make sense of it all, blackness overtook her.

***

Damon could hear Elena screaming his name, but he could not take in enough air to respond.

“It’s okay, baby,” he thought, trying to comfort her with her thoughts. “Don’t worry. It will all be okay.”

The next thing Damon knew, he could not move his body or open his eyes. The blackness alternated between emptiness, devoid of thoughts, and a place filled with voices.

“I’m Dr. Jo Laughlin,” he heard a female voice say. “Damon has been exposed to Novichok nerve agent. It is used as a chemical weapon because it blocks an enzyme active in the nervous system. Unfortunately, exposure to the nerve agent is fatal in most individuals, depending on the dose.” 

Damon heard sobbing. It sounded like his mum and Stefan.

“There is no antidote,” Dr. Laughlin continued. “But, we have given him a general antidote in the hopes that it might have an effect. If we can keep him alive long enough, his body might stand a chance of metabolizing and excreting the toxin. We’ve sedated him to reduce the stress on his brain while his body tries to flush out the nerve agent.”

“Isn’t there anything else you can do?” Lily pleaded.

“Rest assured that His Majesty has ordered that your son receive the same medical treatment as Her Highness. He is receiving the highest quality of care.”

“Thank you,” Stefan croaked.

Her Highness? She was hurt? “Elena!” Damon tried to shout, but his voice would not work. Damon attempted to waive his hand to get the doctor’s attention so he could ask about Elena, but his muscles refused to follow his commands. He internally kicked and screamed, but his body remained silent and motionless. The blackness swept in and took away his thoughts. The next thing he knew, there were voices again.

“You have to be okay,” Alaric said sadly. “You’re like a son to me! I love you, Damon.”

Damon had never heard Alaric so pained before. “I love you, too,” he tried to respond. No sounds moved past his lips.

***

Jeremy, Bonnie, and Caroline held vigil in Elena’s hospital room. Bonnie held Caroline’s hand. They had met recently, but they bonded quickly in their shared grief. Before Bonnie could even finish explaining how she knew Elena, Caroline pulled her in for a long hug and started sobbing on her shoulder. On the other side of the bed, King Grayson, Queen Miranda, and Jenna huddled together.

Grayson shared with them the information that was coming in on Lorenzo St. John from the security team. They had pieced together that the attacker was targeting Damon more so than Elena.

“This is all my fault!” Bonnie declared. “If I had focused more on who sent that e-mail to Jeremy, maybe I could have caught him before he did this.”

Grayson looked up at her.

“This is hardly your responsibility,” he said. “I know NCA was partnering with the Royal Guard, but they would not have asked for your help if they had stronger leads. There wasn’t much to go on.”

Bonnie nodded, trying to accept his absolution, but she was having difficulty forgiving herself. 

“No, it’s my fault,” Jeremy said through his tears. “Damon’s second background check came back clean. I let myself get distracted, following a false threat, instead of realizing that whoever sent that e-mail was the real threat.”

“What second background check?” Grayson snapped.

“I asked Bonnie to conduct another background check once I got that e-mail. I wanted a fresh set of eyes on it,” Jeremy explained. “But, my attention was misguided.”

“You need to run such things past me. You’re such a hothead!” Grayson barked. “How are you ever going to be a good king if you keep acting so impulsively!” 

“Grayson, stop it!” Miranda chided. “The only person we should be angry with right now is Lorenzo St. John. We need to stick together.”

Caroline agreed. “We have to stay positive for her. Keep her company until she wakes up.”

Carolyn’s confidence faded and her voice cracked.

“She will wake up, right?” Carolyn asked before sobs shook her body.

***

Bonnie picked up the phone to dial Alaric. He answered gruffly. He sounded as bad as she felt.

“Hi Ric, it’s Bonnie. I wanted to talk to you about something. Is now a good time?”

“It’s as good as any,” he said.

“I just called to apologize for not focusing on the person who sent that e-mail about Sergeant Salvatore from the very beginning. Your instincts were right. I’m afraid I failed everyone by not broadening the scope of my investigation sooner.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alaric replied. “This happened because of me. I should have put the pieces together sooner.”

“What do you mean?” Bonnie asked.

“I’m the common thread between Enzo and Damon. I met Enzo when he was 17. He was constantly getting into fights and threatening violence. He endured horrific abuse as a child. I argued his case so he could enlist in the military. I connected him with Damon because they had similar backgrounds. I thought Damon could be a good influence. But, it didn’t work. Enzo kept mouthing off. One day, Enzo punched his drill sergeant in a fit of rage and was dishonorably discharged. I still kept in touch with him. Enzo sometimes complained about Damon’s assault being overlooked while his was not. I should have figured it out.” 

“You couldn’t have known he would launch a deadly attack,” Bonnie pointed out.

“There were warning signs,” Alaric argued. “In retrospect, he was showing way too much interest in Damon’s career. I think Enzo finding out that Damon would be guarding the princess is what put him over the edge.”

“I guess we’ll never know the full story since Enzo didn’t make it,” Bonnie commented. 

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Bonnie wondered if Alaric had been holding out hope that he could save Enzo from himself.

***

Elena had been aware of the voices in the room for a while now. The voices she heard most often belonged to Jo, her mum and dad, Jeremy, and her Aunt Jenna. She guessed that they were with her every day, but there was no distinction between days and nights in the darkness. Despite her best efforts to listen carefully, she drifted in and out of awareness. For some reason, the voices now sounded crisper and she could focus on them without fading away. 

“She should become alert any moment,” Jo said.

“Should we get some food ready for her?” Miranda asked.

“No, let’s start with ice chips and water and slowly introduce food,” Jo replied.

Elena opened her eyes and looked around. 

“Mum?” she tried to say, but her voice cracked and it came out as discordant sounds.

Miranda leapt to her feet.

“Elena! I love you so much.”

Miranda started kissing her face and crying.

Grayson swooped in for hug and kiss, followed by Jeremy and Jenna. 

“Where’s Damon?” she asked. Her voice was starting to function again and the words came out coherently.

“He’s here at St. Mary’s Hospital,” Miranda explained. “Honey, you both were attacked with a nerve agent.”

Elena nodded. “I heard everyone talking around me.”

“I didn’t know how much you picked up on while you were semi-conscious,” Miranda explained.

“I need to go see him,” Elena said. “Is he okay?”

“His body is still fighting off the poison, so he cannot be brought out from the sedation yet,” Miranda said. “You can’t go now. You need to rest. You’ve been sedated for nearly a month.”

Elena did not realize that so much time had passed. That would make it early June. The thought of Damon still lying in a hospital bed under sedation made her heart lurch. Why was she faring better than him? 

“I really want to see him,” Elena insisted. 

If Damon’s experiences under sedation were anything like hers, he would be aware of the people around him. She wanted to comfort him.

“You should let her go,” Jeremy piped in. “They’re good friends and she’ll feel better once she sees him.”

Elena smiled weakly at Jeremy and he smiled back. 

“Good friends!” Grayson barked. “Elena, you know how I feel about fraternizing with the staff. It distracts them from doing their job.”

“Relax Dad. I just meant that they have a good working relationship,” Jeremy lied.

“I will not relax!” Grayson snapped. “Elena, you being too friendly with Damon is part of what landed you in this hospital bed in the first place. From the reports I received, you’re the one who encouraged Damon to talk to Lorenzo St. John. You’re also the one who insisted on taking a picture with your attacker, to be nice to someone who you thought was Damon’s friend. You need to learn better boundaries and those start now!”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Elena said in a quiet voice. If she had not encouraged Damon to stop, the attacker would not have found the opportunity to poison them. A wave of nausea overcame her. 

“You’re being harsh,” Jeremy jumped in. “You always say it’s important to be friendly with the staff.”

“You can be friendly without being friends,” Grayson said stiffly. “There are reasons why members of the royal family have to keep their distance from staff and safety is one of them. What happened to Elena cannot happen again!”

“Am I more like royalty or staff?” Jenna joked.

Grayson narrowed his eyes at her. Miranda shot Jenna a nervous look.

“I promise to be better with boundaries. But, I do need to check in on Damon at some point,” Elena pleaded. “He was attacked with a lethal toxin while on duty.” 

“Do it and he won’t be returning to work at the palace,” Grayson barked.

Jeremy swallowed nervously. Elena wondered if he was still seeing Anna. 

***

As Damon drifted into consciousness, he heard a female voice.

“Elena sent me to visit you,” she said.

Damon’s heart soared. Elena was okay. He had been waiting for news on her status, but it had not been forthcoming.

“I’m Jenna Sommers, Elena’s Aunt. She has a letter for you that I’m going to read.”

Dear Damon,

I regret that I cannot be there in person with you. My father is insisting that I stay away to focus on my own recovery.

Jenna scoffed at that statement. 

“My dear brother in law can be a domineering knob sometimes. He only gets away with it because he’s the king. It’s like he forgets that Miranda was not royalty when they met.”

They brought me out of sedation today, but your body is still recovering. You will be okay because you have to be okay. You have too much to offer this world. Please know that I’m thinking of you even though I cannot be there. Jenna has offered to bring my letters to you a few times a week, so I will keep writing you and we can stay in touch this way. I look forward to seeing you when they bring you out of sedation.

Love,

Elena 

“My niece is as good as they come. She is good and kind and she would move heaven and earth for those that she loves. She is quite taken with you. She woke up asking about you and insisted on coming see you. You need to get better because it will break her heart if anything happens to you. I’m going to keep harassing you until you wake up. I hope that’s incentive enough.”

***

Elena was elated. They had brought Damon out of sedation earlier today. She quickly dialed Damon’s hospital number. 

“Damon!” she exclaimed when she heard him answer. It was so good to hear his voice again.

“Elena!” he returned her enthusiastic greeting.

“I’m so glad that you’re okay. I was so worried about you! I was brought out of sedation three weeks ago and every day that you were still under sedation felt like ages,” she said. Elena rushed the words out, as if afraid that he would slip away.

“I heard the letters Jenna read,” he said. “Thank you.”

“I knew you would be able to hear Jenna! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person. My father can be a bit overprotective at times.”

“I understand,” Damon replied. “If anyone should be sorry it’s me. Enzo was attacking me and you were collateral damage. I put you at risk.”

“Please,” Elena replied, rolling her eyes, “I’m getting tired of everyone taking the blame for a man who was clearly mentally unstable. Nobody could have predicted the attack. That said, I’ve learned a valuable lesson about being more cautious. I definitely won’t do anymore impromptu photos.”

“Good,” he replied. “I want you safe.”

“Then you better get back here to ensure my safety yourself. I only needed two weeks of physical therapy and I’m hoping that your recovery is equally quick.”

“I hope so,” he replied. “I’m excited to get back to work.”

Elena paused for a moment, unsure if she should bring up another difficult topic. 

“Did you hear about your father’s sentence?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. 

She could not gauge Damon’s reaction from his neutral tone. His father had been sentenced to five years of prison. Elena thought the sentence was too light and wished Damon had let her father get involved. The Crown Prosecution Service decided to proceed without Damon’s testimony, which is why they pressed forward with the trial when he was in the hospital.

“We can talk about it if you ever want to,” Elena offered.

“Thanks Elena. Your friendship really means a lot to me.”

Elena sighed after she said goodbye. She wished they could be more than just friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Damon leaned forward and tenderly cupped Elena’s face in his hands. She could feel his breath tickling her forehead.

“I realized something as I lay in my hospital bed, wondering if I would die.”

It was early August and Damon’s first day back at work. Damon’s brush with death seemed to have changed him because he had been acting especially tender. It was late in the evening and she and Damon were alone in her bedroom. 

“What’s that?” Elena asked.

“That titles don’t matter when you’re facing death. We’re just two souls that care deeply for each other and all the societal rules that keep us apart seemed laughable at death’s door. I wished I had broken more rules.”

“So, you intend to start breaking the rules?”

“Yes, but there are consequences for breaking the rules and I’ll have to face those as well.”

Elena nodded. “I think my dad would be upset if anything happened between us.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Damon replied. “But, I don’t want to think about that right now. I just want to kiss you.”

“Then don’t think about it. Just kiss me,” Elena invited.

He showered kisses all over her face.

“Elena, Elena, Elena,” he repeated as if it was a mantra. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m thankful that I could be here with you. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

“I don’t think I could bear it, not seeing you again,” she said.

Damon brought his lips to hers and Elena felt her heartrate increase. She pressed her body into his and dug her fingers into his back, almost as if he would slip away if she did not hold on tight. 

Damon ran his hands down her back, playing with the hem of her shirt. He pulled away from the kiss. His blue eyes looked mischievous and bright.

“You once said that I could take your shirt off while I kissed you. Does the offer still stand?”

“Yes. But, if you take off my shirt, I’ll want the rest of my clothes to follow. I’ll also want to undress you. Are you sure you want to cross that line? What about your career?”

“I’m sure,” he replied. “I’m willing to accept the consequences to live my life without regret. But, I can’t promise that we can be together after tonight. There are so many barriers we face and my career is just the first hurdle. You need to be with someone who is suitable for royalty and that certainly isn’t me.”

“I disagree that you’re not right for me,” Elena said. “But, I don’t want to debate you right now. If tonight is all we have, then I’ll take it.”

Damon leaned forward to kiss her.

“Wait, Damon!”

He stopped abruptly, looking confused.

“We need to have the talk.”

“I thought we just did,” he replied.

“No, the responsible sex talk because I think that’s where this is going. Have you been diagnosed with an STD? When’s the last time you were tested? What protection will we use?”

Damon nodded.

“You’re right. We should talk about that first. I haven’t been diagnosed with an STD, I was last tested three months ago, and I have a condom in my wallet if that works for you.”

“Condoms work great. I also have some we could use.”

Damon raised his eyebrows.

“How many do you think we need? I was practically comatose a month ago.”

Elena laughed. “Best to be prepared,” she replied, a twinkle in her eyes.

“I was last tested six months ago and I have not been diagnosed with an STD,” she continued. “Do you have any questions for me?” 

“I have a comment and many questions,” Damon said. He unattached his holster, checked the safety on his gun, and set it carefully on top of the chest of drawer. “My gun has to remain within arm’s reach of me at all times,” he instructed. “At no point are you to go anywhere near it. You understand?”

Elena nodded in agreement. “That make sense.”

“Onto my questions. I have so many,” Damon murmured, pulling her in close. “How can you be so smart?” he asked, kissing her on the right corner of her lips. “And so sexy?,” he asked, sweeping his lips over to kiss the left corner. “And so sweet?,” he asked, gently nipping her bottom lip with his teeth. “And why the hell do you want me?”

“I just do,” she responded, grabbing his tie and pulling him in for a kiss. Elena tried to unknot his tie, but her fingers tangled with the cord clipped onto his tie which connected to his earpiece.

“I should take this off,” Damon said. He shrugged off his jacket. Damon unclipped the cord from his tie, undid the top buttons of his shirt, and pulled out the earpiece and cord. He tossed it onto the chest of drawers. 

“Are you sure it’s okay to take your earpiece off?” Elena asked.

“That will be the least of my workplace infractions this evening,” he said with a wink. 

“Taking off your shirt is supposed to be my job,” Elena protested. “At least let me finish what you started.”

Elena unfastened the rest of buttons and ran her hands across his chest. She undid the buttons on the cuffs and dropped the shirt to the ground. Her mouth peppered kisses across his chest while her hands skimmed down his back. His body was incredibly lean, while also boasting sculpted muscles. The mirror on the vanity behind them allowed her to admire the small movements in his muscular back. His broad biceps and shoulders tapered into his narrow waist. Elena admired the angles of his abdominal muscles, falling to her knees and running kisses down them. 

Damon pulled her up back up to a standing position. Her shirt soon joined his on the ground. He kissed her neck and collarbone, gently nipping at the sensitive spots. His ran his tongue along the edges of her lace bra and caressed her nipples through the fabric with his thumbs. The movement across the thin fabric magnified the touch. He reached his hand around her back and unfastened her bra, carelessly tossing it on the ground.

“You. Are. So. Beautiful,” Damon declared, gazing at her with adoration.

Elena was thin and her smaller breasts fit her frame. The way Damon looked at her made her feel like her curves were the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Feeling emboldened, she arched her back, inviting his touch.

Damon brought one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking on it with abandon. He unfastened her trousers and slid them down her thighs, caressing her legs along the way. He kneeled and pulled off her trousers and socks, kissing the top of her feet. He kissed his way back up her legs and abdomen to her other breast. 

Elena glanced in the mirror. Her hair looked wild as it fell in various angles to her waist. Her lashes were partially lowered over her brown eyes. Her exposed breast glistened from Damon’s tongue moments before and her nipple protruded like a hard bud. She could see Damon’s black hair in front of her other breast as he took that nipple into his mouth. His back muscles shifted slightly with his movements. 

Elena marveled at how sexy they looked together. She would have never thought to use that word to describe herself before. Damon certainly was sexy, but she did not ooze the same sensuality as him. In that moment, she saw a different side of herself and felt emboldened. Pulling away from him, she turned him sideways so he could see his profile in the mirror.

“I want you to watch,” she instructed. Damon’s eyes darkened at the suggestion.

Elena got on her knees and helped him take off his socks and shoes. As she undid his belt, she ran her tongue behind the waistband of his trousers. She helped him step out of his trousers and knickers, admiring his erect penis and muscular legs. He had the most beautiful body. She ran her hands along the length of cock, feeling powerful as he moaned at the touch. She tossed her hair over her right shoulder so it would not obstruct his view and tickled the tip of his penis with her tongue. She ran her tongue in long strokes up and down the length of him and then took him into her mouth. Elena sucked hard, pulling him deep into her mouth, and gradually increased the pace of the movements.

Damon placed his hands on her shoulders. “Elena, you have to stop. I’m so close and I want to come inside of you.”

Elena wiggled out of her knickers and sat on the vanity with her legs spread apart. “Okay. Get the condom on,” she said.

“But,” Damon stammered. “I haven’t pleasured you yet. I need to –” 

“I’m ready for you,” she insisted.

Damon grabbed the condom from his wallet, tore it open, and put it on. He walked back over to Elena. She admired his naked form as he crossed the room to her. When he reached the vanity, he pulled her in for a tender kiss and she could feel his erection pressing up against her thigh. Damon’s fingers caressed her vulva and one finger dove inside of her, finding her silky and damp. Elena arched her hips toward him.

“Now,” she said.

Damon entered her slowly. Elena grabbed his ass, encouraging him to plunge even deeper. He felt so good inside of her. He began to move with careful strokes.

“Harder. Faster,” Elena demanded.

Damon looped her knees over his elbows, deepening the angle and began to plunge into her hard and fast. She moaned at the sensations. Damon glanced in the mirror as he continued to thrust into her and his eyes darkened.

“Elena, I can’t – Oh God! Elena!” he cried as his face contorted. Elena enjoyed being the source of his pleasure. He collapsed onto her, breathing heavily into her neck.

Damon looked up at her, still inside of her, his hair a little damp with sweat. His blue eyes were wide and he looked very sweet and innocent.

“I totally lost control,” he said. “You didn’t climax.”

“Don’t worry. I still enjoyed being with you.” She ran her hands up and down his back. 

“I’m not in my right mind when I’m with you. I imagined that going differently,” he muttered to himself. 

Damon picked her up and carried her over to the bed, crawling in next to her. Elena snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“It’s been a while,” he continued, staring forlornly at the ceiling. “I must still be recovering from the attack because I’m totally beat right now. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Damon, stop it! You’re treating me like all I care about is having an orgasm! I wanted you to be able to get carried away and just enjoy yourself. It’s not just about the physical for me. I love you!” she snapped. 

Elena paused. She had not intended to tell him that she loved him just now. She studied the hair on his chest because she could not bear to see the reaction on his face.

“You love me?” Damon asked, tipping her chin up so she had to look at him. 

Elena nodded, still feeling a little sheepish. A broad smile spread across his face. 

“I love you too,” he said. “So much.” 

A warmth spread through Elena’s chest. Despite her imperfect delivery, his response made the moment perfect. 

Damon kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Just give me a minute to get cleaned up.”

Damon reappeared and stalked toward her with purpose. He climbed on top of her and started kissing her down the length of her torso.

“You need to rest,” Elena said. 

“I got a little bit more energy from our conversation just now,” Damon insisted. “I want to show you just how much I love you.”

He started kissing her lower abdomen, but Elena pulled him back up.

“Do you conflate sexual pleasure with love?” she asked. “It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” 

“I don’t know. Maybe,” Damon replied. “All I know is that it feels even more important to me now that you told me you loved me. I can’t have you remembering tonight like that. The time it matters most is the time I’m at my worst.”

“If that was you at your worst, I would say you’re doing just fine,” Elena teased. “If it would make you feel good to make me feel good, then I’m all for it.” 

Damon looked relieved and continued to kiss down the length of her body. When he arrived at her hips, he slowly ran his tongue around her inner thighs. It felt as though he was drawing patterns. One hand was on her hip while his other absentmindedly played with the hair between her legs. He glanced up at Elena quizzically. She smiled, hoping to put him at ease. 

“I just spelled out ‘I love you’ with my tongue,” he breathed. 

Elena smiled wider. His tenderness was unnerving.

“I love you too, baby,” she replied.

The endearment propelled him forward. He slowly ran his tongue around her labia. His fingers soon joined his tongue and he alternated between exploring her folds with his tongue and fingers. His tongue found his way up to her clitoris and he greeted it with languid movements. Elena felt a tingling sensation dance down her legs. Damon placed a finger inside of her, gently exploring her. A moan escaped Elena’s mouth. It felt so good. Damon increased the pace and force of his tongue. 

“Damon! Yes!,” Elena called out. 

Damon looked up and studied her body language. He seemed pleased with what he found and returned his gaze downward. He inserted a second finger into her and gently started easing his fingers in and out of her. Elena tightened around his fingers. It felt heavenly. Damon began sucking on her clitoris and gently squeezed it between his front teeth.

“Does that feel okay?” he asked.

“Yes!” she panted. 

Damon pulled the skin around her clitoris back tautly so he could have unadulterated access to the entire bundle of nerves. He began forceful tongue ministrations while pumping his fingers in and out of her.

“Damon! Damon! Don’t stop!” Elena yelled. 

Her legs were starting to tremble violently. She tried to arch her hips, but Damon held her firmly in place. The trembling continued up her torso until she felt white, hot spasms in her vagina. Damon slowed his pace, but continued to lick her clitoris slowly and gently. Each lick sent additional ringlets of pleasure swirling through her body as she came down from her high. Elena lied completely still, soaking up the aftereffects of her pleasure. Damon cuddled up beside her. She felt too sated to talk. They lied comfortably in silence for a few moments. Elena snuggled closer into him. She opened her eyes and studied him.

“That was amazing,” she said. “Are you happy now?”

“No, but just the one orgasm will need to do for now. I need to recover before I give you more.”

“More?” Elena asked. 

Damon nodded. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted this? I’ve dreamed of so many ways to pleasure you. I’m just getting started.”

“Me too,” Elena agreed. “I came up with a plan for how I was going to seduce you that was way less innocent than just dancing.”

“Really?” Damon asked quizzically. “I’d love to see that.”

“How long do you need to recover?” Elena asked.

“Give me an hour or two and I’m all yours.”

“Okay. Do you have the energy to go back to work?”

Damon nodded.

“My plan will work better if you go back to work for a little while first. I can come get you with a surprise in two hours. You can spend that time wondering what I’m going to do to you.”

***

Elena stared down at the ridiculous contraption Caroline had given her to wear. She hoped Damon would like it. She put on the white teddy, thigh highs, and stilettos and marched to the door connecting her room with the salon. She peeked out first to make sure they were alone, then threw the door open wider so Damon could see her ensemble. 

“Damon, I’m afraid there’s a security issue in my bedroom. I need your help.”

Damon’s mouth parted slightly and he stared at her. 

“At your service, Your Highness,” he croaked, following her into the room.

Elena led him into her walk-in closet. “You see, I was trying to get dressed for bed and I noticed all these heavy items on the shelf above me that could fall down on me at any moment. I think it would be safer for me if you could stay here to assess the situation.”

Damon nodded, playing along.

Elena drew in a big breath for extra courage. She had never stripped for a man before. She placed a foot up on her stool and slowly took off each shoe and stocking. Elena avoided making eye contact with Damon because she felt uncomfortable watching him watching her. Next, she untied the bows on the teddy and made a show of slowly pulling out the ribbons and dropping the middle piece of the outfit onto the floor. With her back toward him, Elena unclipped the bra and let it fall to the floor. She gently moved her head back and forth so her long hair shimmied down her bare back. Just wearing the lace thong, Elena turned to face Damon, cupping her breasts in her hands. She darted her eyes up to Damon’s, wondering how he was reacting. His eyes looked dark with desire and he gazed at her as though she were the most beautiful woman the world. This inspired Elena to follow the last of Caroline’s instructions. She turned away from him and removed the thong slowly so he could admire her backside. She faced him again, fully nude.

“Okay, I’m ready for bed now.”

“Damn right you are,” Damon said, picking her up and carrying her over to the bed. 

Damon grabbed the nape of her neck with one hand and kissed her forcefully. He ran the other hand over her breasts, teasing her nipples with his palm. Elena arched her hips upward and Damon lowered his fingers between her legs, gently caressing her everywhere but her most sensitive parts, making Elena moan. Meanwhile, his lips traveled all over her. He nibbled at her ears, found the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck, and licked all around her nipples, teasing her further by not focusing solely on them. He would flick a nipple with his tongue, blow cool air on them, then retreat and neglect it again. 

“Damon, please,” Elena moaned, arching upward and tugging at his belt. He was still fully dressed while she was completely naked.

“Let’s just take our time and enjoy it,” he responded.

Damon recovered the patch of lace that had made up the middle part of the teddy. 

“Close your eyes and the sensation will be heightened,” he suggested. 

He gently moved the lace and ribbons over her skin, tickling her arms, stomach and legs. Then he added his mouth, kissing her through the lace. He placed the lace over each nipple, gently licking her through it. Parting her legs, he tickled her with the ribbon. Finally, he placed the lace over her clitoris and started to lick her through it.

“Damon,” Elena gasped. “I want you.”

“And, I want you,” Damon replied, breathing heavier. “First, I want to show you some of my fantasies.”

“Show me,” Elena agreed.

Damon laid his head on her stomach and caressed her with his fingers. Then, he dipped one finger into her and curled it back up, finding her G-spot just a few inches below where his head rested and rubbed it rhythmically. He repeated this with two fingers. Elena began to jerk with each touch and Damon could feel the vibrations ripple through her stomach, just under his head.

“That feel good?” he murmured.

“Mmmmm,” Elena replied, dreamily.

Damon swung around, positioning himself between her legs, and slowly began licking her clitoris. As his pace got harder and faster, Elena trembled with every lick. 

“I’m close,” Elena panted.

Damon switched back to his hand, until he brought her to the brink. Then, did the same with his mouth, each time stopping just before she climaxed.

Elena moaned.

“I want it to be amazing for you,” Damon encouraged.

Damon grabbed a condom from Elena’s nightstand and unzipped his trousers roughly.

“Is it time?” Elena asked.

“Not quite yet,” Damon coaxed.

He entered her with a few, swift strokes, trying to angle upward against her G-spot. As she moaned harder, he pulled out, using his tongue once more.

“Fuck Damon,” Elena said.

Damon entered her again, then switched back to his tongue. Just as Elena started to tremble, he introduced his fingers at the same time as his tongue.

“Fuck Damon,” Elena repeated as she started to spasm around his fingers, releasing a heavy stream of female ejaculation.

Elena collapsed, a dazed look on her face. Then, an embarrassed look crossed her face. 

“The bed’s all wet,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Damon replied. “I wanted it to be that good for you.”

“I just had a clitoral and G-spot orgasm at the same time,” Elena gasped.

“I know,” Damon replied.

“Fuck Damon,” Elena repeated. “Fuck me.”

Damon tore off his trousers and socks as Elena frantically pawed at the buttons on his shirt. Damon entered her forcefully with steady strokes.

Elena moved her hips up, just out of his reach.

“Get back here,” Damon commanded. “I need you.”

“Not quite yet,” Elena replied, climbing on top of him. “Now it’s your turn.”

She licked down his chest and around his cock. Kissing him on his inner thighs and running her tongue over his balls. Damon moaned.

“You know, if you close your eyes, it might feel more intense,” Elena teased.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Damon moaned.

Elena playfully licked the tip of his penis, then drew just the head into her mouth, sucking hard. 

“Elena, please,” Damon begged. 

She took his full length into her mouth, alternating sucking and blowing cool air on him. Damon grabbed a fistful of her hair. 

“I’m getting close,” he gasped.

Elena stopped and climbed on top of him, riding him slowly.

“Oh, yes, Elena,” he moaned.

She stopped moving.

“Please Elena,” Damon begged.

“Well, I’ve fantasized about this for a long time,” Elena joked.

“Fuck,” Damon said. “I can’t wait any longer.”

He threw Elena down on her back and thrust into her. Then, he tossed her on her stomach so he could finish off from behind. His 

“I just saw stars,” Damon moaned.

“I know,” Elena replied, trying to match his smug tone from earlier.

A few minutes later they were snuggling in bed as Elena ran her hand over Damon’s chest. Elena looked at him long and hard, a warmth emanated from her eyes. Then she slowly brought her lips to the scar on his shoulder. She peppered kisses across length of the scar, as if her kisses could heal him. 

Damon groaned as he rolled her onto her back. “Now, it’s my turn to kiss you.” 

“Damon, I don’t think I can take much more,” she protested.

“We’ll never know unless we try,” he coaxed.


	9. Chapter 9

Damon replayed his night with Elena as he drove to Alaric’s office the next day. His elation buffered his fears about the crushing blow to come.

“Damon, are you okay?” Alaric asked as Damon walked into his office. “It’s not like you to ask to meet with me on such short notice and not tell me why.”

“I thought it was best to explain in person,” Damon sighed. “I think I need to leave the military.”

“Leave?” Alaric asked, looking puzzled. “If the work is too physically strenuous, you can take more time off. You came back to work too quickly in my opinion.”

Images of last night flooded Damon’s mind. It definitely was physically strenuous. He pushed those thoughts aside. He needed to focus.

“I slept with Elena,” he confessed. 

He thought it would feel good to come clean, but the look of horror on Alaric’s face felt like daggers shooting through his heart.

“Shit,” Alaric said, running his fingers through his short, light brown hair, making it stand on end. “I have to report this and you’re going to be dishonorably discharged.”

“I know,” said Damon, glancing downward. 

“What were you thinking?” Alaric asked incredulously.

Damon continued to look at his hands. He did not know what to say.

“Is this some kind of survivors’ bond? ‘We almost died together, so let’s fuck?’” he snapped.

Damon narrowed his eyes, but continued to avert them.

“There are only four people in the entire world you’re not supposed to fuck: the king, the queen, the crown prince, and the princess,” Alaric said, counting on his fingers. “And, you had to go pick one of the four.”

Alaric stopped his tirade and took a few, deep breaths. The silence was deafening. Ric’s disappointment clung to the air. Damon glanced up. Ric now looked crestfallen. Gone was the anger, but it left the bitter aftertaste of sadness. 

“Have you told anyone else?” Alaric asked his tone more gentle.

“No,” Damon replied. “Watching my career go down in a blaze of glory isn’t exactly something I’m proud of.”

“Then why did you tell me?”

“You know I can’t lie to you,” Damon replied. “Also, I need to face the consequences of my actions.”

Alaric didn’t respond, so Damon forged forward.

“I’m sorry. I know I let you down. You gave me so many opportunities. I’ll always be grateful to you for showing me my potential. You trained me well. You taught me better than this.”

“I just need to understand. Why did you do it?” Alaric asked. 

“I love her,” Damon said softly.

“I see,” Alaric replied, looking off into the corner of his office pensively. “Are you going to pursue a relationship with her?”

Damon shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see how the two of us could ever work out in the long run.”

“You would throw away your entire career for just one night with her?” Alaric asked incredulously.

“I don’t expect you to understand. I started looking at life differently after coming so close to death,” Damon replied. “The truth is that I’m not sure what to do next. I know it’s not fair to ask for your advice given the circumstances, but I could really use your guidance.”

Alaric sighed heavily and continued staring into the corner.

“I’m probably going to regret this, but I’m not documenting this conversation.”

“What are you saying?” Damon asked, feeling a little stunned.

“I’m saying that I’m not going to let you throw away your career. You want my advice and here it is: If you doubt that you two could last long term, you need to cut your losses and move on. I’m going to transfer you.”

“I could stay in the Royal Guard?” Damon asked, perplexed. He had not anticipated this outcome.

“Yes, so long as you do not pursue a relationship with Princess Elena and keep this under wraps. Talk to her and see if she will keep your confidence.”

“Ric, thank you so much,” Damon stated.

“You deserve to be happy Damon,” Alaric replied. “But, find your happiness somewhere else. Work and personal life should be kept strictly separate. You got it?”

Damon nodded. He should feel relieved that Alaric had salvaged his career. Yet, as he left the office, a heaviness settled over his chest as he thought about what he would say to Elena.

***

“Hey sexy man,” Elena greeted him as soon as they were alone again. She embraced him and turned her mouth to his for a kiss.

Damon wanted to kiss her one last time, but he knew that he should not. 

“Elena,” Damon started, his voice somber, “we can’t do this anymore. I told my supervisor what happened between us. I’m being transferred to a different post.”

“You did what!?” Elena asked angrily. “How could you do that?”

“I needed to take responsibility for my actions,” Damon explained. “What I did was a huge breach of the code of conduct.”

“Yes, but you knew that before you got involved with me. You said you wanted to start breaking the rules!” she challenged.

“And face the consequences afterwards,” he added.

“I thought you meant face the consequences if somebody found out about us by accident. I didn’t know that you intended to saunter up to your supervisor the very next day and confess,” she accused. “You went behind my back by not telling me about your stupid plan!”

“I told you that I could only promise the one night,” he protested. “I wasn’t trying to mislead you.”

“Well, you did! You should have followed that up with, ‘I can only promise the one night because I intend to sabotage us the very next day.’ Then, I would not have slept with you. I wish I could take it all back.”

Her words tore through Damon’s chest. He never intended to hide anything from her.

“I decided to reach out to Ric after I left. I was not hiding some premeditated plan, I swear.”

“That’s what cellphones are for. You could have called,” Elena insisted, although her voice lost its edge.

“You’re right,” Damon agreed. “I should have told you beforehand.”

“Stop agreeing with me,” Elena barked. “I want to stay mad at you.”

“Okay,” Damon said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

“You’re still being agreeable,” Elena accused.

“No, I’m not,” Damon joked.

Elena glared at him.

“You had said before that you would not want to date me even if you transferred. Is that still true?” she asked. 

“I can’t. I’m only getting the transfer on the condition that I don’t pursue a relationship with you. Otherwise, my military career is over.”

“That’s not the real reason,” Elena snapped. “You knew the possible impact on your career last night and you were willing to take the risk then. You got what you wanted from me and now, all of a sudden, it’s too risky.”

Damon’s eyes widened. Her words slapped him hard across the face. Did she really believe that or was she just trying to hurt him?

“How could you even insinuate that I was just using you for sex,” Damon spat out through gritted teeth. “You know that I love you!”

“And what a grand love that is! Your love for your career is far greater than your love for me.” 

“You really think that little of me? You know it’s not just about me. I have to support my mum and Stefan. That’s especially true now that my father is in prison!”

Elena looked stunned for a moment.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said softly. “It’s just easier if I stay angry with you.” 

Tears flooded her eyes. Damon took a step forward to pull her into her arms. She held up her hand.

“No, Damon. Don’t.”

He froze.

“I don’t want you to regret last night,” he said quietly. “I would not have touched you if I thought for a minute that you would regret it.”

“I don’t regret it,” she said, tears falling down her cheeks.

“I want you to know that I meant it when I said that I loved you. I don’t ever want you to doubt it.”

“Prove it,” Elena challenged. “Let me help you switch careers. I could get you a different job. One that pays even more. If you want to find something on your own, I could help you and your family financially until your next job pans out.” 

A look of anger overtook Damon’s face. 

“So, I don’t love you unless I’m willing to walk away from my career and become totally dependent on you? If we break-up, I could lose everything!”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Elena protested.

“I thought you were different,” Damon snapped. “But, you’re manipulative!”

“I’m not trying to manipulate you.”

“What more do you want for me?” he asked. “I marched into Alaric’s office today fully expecting to be dishonorably discharged. He shocked the hell out of me by giving me a miraculous second chance at a military career. I’d be a fool not to take it.”

Elena paused, mulling over his words.

“You’re right. I can’t expect you to give up so much just to be with me. It’s not fair to you. We need to say goodbye.”

“Maybe we could stay friends?” Damon asked hopefully. “You know how much I value your friendship.”

“I know, but I can’t be your friend right now. It hurts too much. Maybe with time.”

“I understand,” he replied. “I hate to ask one more thing of you, but will you be discrete about us?”

Elena’s eyebrows shot up.

“You break my heart and then tell me I can’t talk about it with anyone?”

“Never mind,” Damon responded. 

“I’ll only tell Jenna. She can be trusted. That discrete enough for you?”

Damon nodded.

“You can go now,” Elena ordered. 

This was the first time she had ever dismissed him. Damon turned to leave, but realized he could not go far. This was his job until the transfer went through. 

“Shit,” Damon muttered to himself.

***

Damon only had to wait one week before his transfer to the king was finalized, but it felt like the longest week of his life. He spent the rest of the week feeling miserable, watching the dark circles deepen under Elena’s eyes. Her bedside light came on for longer stretches of time in the middle of the night, but she did not invite him in. 

Damon wracked his brain for what he could do to comfort her. He found some stationary and wrote out the sonnet, How Do I Love Thee?, and scrawled across the top, “It was real, Elena. I promise you.” He slipped it under her door. The paper was met by some quiet cries. Then the paper flew back out.

“Damon, stop it! That only makes it worse,” Elena said through the door.

“Shit,” Damon cursed himself. 

He felt like an idiot. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her even more than he already had. Damon spent the last few days of his post with Elena trying to perfect the blank stare and blend in with the curtains. 

***

“Not even eggplant parmesan could pique your appetite,” Jenna commented.

Elena sat at Jenna’s kitchen table, pushing her food aimlessly around her plate. After doing a sweep of the place, her bodyguards positioned themselves outside, one in front and one in back of the cottage. Elena was grateful that it was a mild September day so she would not feel guilty about them standing outside. She really wanted some privacy with her Aunt Jenna.

Elena shrugged her shoulders and gave Jenna a weak smile. Somehow, food did not taste as good lately.

“You’ve got it bad,” Jenna noted. “If you’re not going to eat, you at least have to talk.”

“What is there to say? I have this dull ache in my chest that just won’t go away.”

“You’re still missing Damon? It might help if you went on a date with someone else. ”

“I don’t think that would help. The ache feels Damon sized, like only he can fill it.”

“That’s how it feels when you’re in love with someone,” Jenna observed.

“I don’t want to love him,” Elena said. “I want to be mad at him. If he would just swallow his pride and accept my financial help, then we could be together.”

“If the tables were turned, would you let him support you and your family financially after only three months?”

Had she really only spent three months with him? It felt like she had always known Damon. 

“It’s been longer than that,” she protested. “I’ve known him since March.”

“Time spent nearly comatose and not speaking post-break-up doesn’t count,” Jenna challenged. “You never answered my question. Would you take money from him if you were in his shoes?”

“No. It’s just that this would be so much easier if I could find something to dislike about him.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem like he’s moving on either. The last time our family all got together, he kept giving you the most intense looks.”

“I know. I dread seeing Dad during his shifts because Damon communicates so much with his eyes. It’s unnerving.”

“It will get better,” Jenna said. “It just takes time. And some ice cream. How do you feel about dessert?”

Elena helped Jenna scoop the ice cream into bowls and they settled back at the table. 

“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about leaving my royal responsibilities behind. Trying to live more of a normal life,” Elena said. 

She spoke freely with Jenna because she knew that she could trust her to keep her confidence. Elena’s eyes shot up to Jenna’s, wondering if they would be filled with shock. Instead, she found warmth.

“That doesn’t sound crazy at all. Miranda chose this life for herself, but you never did. You’ve never been entirely comfortable with it.”

Elena nodded. 

“I’m more comfortable like this, with you.” 

Jenna covered Elena’s hand with hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I just want you to be happy. What brought this on?”

Elena thought of Damon’s words, which had echoed in her head. “If it’s so bad, then make it your choice. Walk away.” Mulling over those words made her feel more in control.

“I used to feel like leaving was not an option. But, something Damon said made me realize that I do have a choice. And, it feels freeing to think of it as a choice. I feel less stuck.”

“It is a choice,” Jenna agreed. “Your choice. You shouldn’t stay for your dad and you shouldn’t leave for Damon. Trust me, I’ve made plenty of mistakes when I let men guide my decisions instead of listening to my heart.”

“I know. Dad loves being the king and I don’t want to disappoint him. But, I also need to live my own life. With Damon, things would be less complicated between us if I no longer had royal responsibilities. Yet, at the end of the day, he’s guarding my dad and may still have reservations about dating me. So, I need to make this decision for me. The possibility of dating him would be the icing on the cake.”

“Very tasty icing,” Jenna joked. “So, have you weighed the pros and cons?”

“Yes. The biggest thing that makes me want to stay is the ability to influence public policy, especially once Jeremy becomes king because he listens to me more than Mum and Dad,” Elena said.

“You would not leave all your connections behind even if you leave your royal responsibility,” Jenna pointed out. “You could still help out in a less official capacity.”

“True,” Elena agreed. “Plus, I could be more of an activist instead of a diplomat and I like that. But, that path is scary because it’s unchartered territory. What if I regret it?”

“Living life fully means taking risks. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees.”

Elena sighed.

“I don’t know how to make this decision.”

“Why not start by taking small steps in one direction: either recommitting to your royal responsibilities or moving away from them?” Jenna said. “If that small step feels good, try another. If it doesn’t, you back up.”

Elena smiled. Aunt Jenna always gave the best advice.

“I think I know where I’ll start. I want to map out more of the type of work I might do if my schedule was my own.” 

***

“You look like hell,” Alaric commented as he surveyed the dark circles under Damon’s eyes and his vacant look.

“Thanks,” Damon said sarcastically. 

It had been a rough month for Damon. His new post with King Grayson had not provided him with much respite. He was acutely aware of his proximity to Elena. He spent much of his time at work thinking about her, looking for her, and feeling both elated and crestfallen when he saw her. Even when Damon was off duty, Elena’s face was everywhere: on magazine covers in the check-out line and on the news when he flipped through the channels. “Serves me right for getting involved with a public figure,” Damon thought to himself. He added for good measure, “and for letting it happen at work.”

“Damon, I know you said you had doubts, but I think you owe it to yourself to pursue a relationship with Princess Elena,” Alaric said.

Damon stared at him for a moment, at a loss for words.

“I’ve known you since you were 17,” Alaric continued. “I’ve never seen you this heartbroken before. When I told you to walk away, I did not realize how it would wreck you to do it. My advice was wrong, so now I’m changing it.”

Damon sighed.

“Have you thought about leaving the Royal Guard?” Alaric asked.

“Yes,” Damon replied. “I’ve been looking for openings. I’m thinking of putting my application in for the head of security position at the British Museum. But, you know how competitive it is.”

“I could put in a good word. A friend of a friend is a curator there,” Alaric said.

“You’ve taken such an interest in my military career. Why would you help me leave it all behind?” Damon asked.

“No, Damon, I’ve taken an interest in you,” Alaric clarified. “I want you to be happy.”

“So, best case scenario, I get this job,” Damon started. “It would be ridiculous to expect Elena to have anything more than a passing interest in me. She’ll eventually need to settle down with someone with a title, someone who could be royalty.”

Alaric arched his eyebrows. 

“You’re telling me that the princess you once described as an aspiring Robin Hood values titles that much?”

Alaric reached into his desk and thumbed through some notes.

“Let’s see,” he said, turning the pages. “All reports I’ve received over the past month indicate that Elena has been despondent. Her insomnia has gotten worse and her appetite has decreased.”

Alaric looked at Damon intently.

“This is wrecking her too,” he said. “I think she would give you a second chance.”

“What?” Damon said slowly, a little dazed. Some of the heaviness lifted from his chest, replaced by hope.

“I guess I have an application to work on,” Damon concluded. 

“Damn right you do,” Alaric agreed. 

As Damon turned to leave, Alaric called out, “Damon! I do have one condition for helping you.”

“Okay,” Damon nodded.

“Should this all work out, I get to be the godfather to your royal babies,” Alaric said with a laugh.

“Consider it done,” Damon said with a smile.

***

The soft glow of the laptop shone on Elena’s face. It was 3 a.m., but Elena felt alert. She stared intently at the screen. She had just finished a prospectus for a non-profit organization she hoped to start. The proposal outlined the need for a system to utilize resources that otherwise would go to waste. Elena wanted this organization to provide transportation and incentives to farmers to donate excess produce. She also envisioned sending volunteers to tend to the fruit trees and gardens in the backyards of community members in return for food donations. While she was at Oxford, Elena had noticed the mountains of clothes and furniture that were thrown away at the end of the school year. This non-profit also would partner with universities throughout England to provide donation boxes and transportation of the goods. 

Brining her cup of tea to her lips, Elena smiled proudly at her work product. This was the first time Elena had felt such joy since saying goodbye to Damon a month ago. 

Elena had read somewhere that a soulmate was someone who came into your life and shook it up, even if they did not remain a constant presence. Elena pondered how Damon was the catalyst for change in her life, regardless of what the future held for them. Maybe he was her soulmate.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a crisp November day when Damon showed up to work. He glanced at his watch. It was only 6 p.m. He sighed, knowing that he would have to wait 10 more hours to see Elena. Earlier in the day, he had texted her:

I miss you. I have an idea. Can I come by your room when my shift ends at 4 a.m. to talk to you? I trust Tyler to be discrete.

She had responded with one word.

Okay.

What was that supposed to mean? It could mean, “Okay, I’ll barely tolerate your company to be polite, but I secretly despise you” or, it could mean, “Okay, I’ll listen to your idea because I miss you too.” Whatever the tone, he doubted a one-word answer was a good sign.

When Damon’s shift ended, the walk from the east to the west wing of the palace seemed endless. Damon hoped that Elena still loved him. But, he worried that, in the ensuing months, she had moved on. Maye he was the only one who felt as though time did not dull the intensity of his emotions? Regardless of the outcome, he decided it was worth the risk. Damon rounded the corner and greeted Tyler. 

“She’s expecting you, Damon,” he said.

Damon rapped twice on her door and she swung it open. Elena was fully dressed in khaki trousers and a pink blouse. 

“Elena,” Damon said, soaking her in with his eyes. “Thank you for agreeing to see me. I’m sorry to keep you up so late. You haven’t been to bed yet?”

She invited him in and shut the door.

“As if I could sleep waiting to hear more about this mysterious idea of yours,” Elena replied, a small smile on her lips. “What’s the big mystery?”

“I’m leaving the Royal Guard. Last night, I accepted an offer to be head of security at the British Museum,” Damon said excitedly. “This means that we can be together! That is, if you’ll still have me?” 

“Oh Damon, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, a look of concern on her face.

Damon felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. Had she moved on?

“Damon,” she said stepping forward. “I’ve decided to leave my royal responsibilities behind me.”

Damon looked at her, dumbfounded.

“It was a decision I made for myself above anything else,” she said. “But, I also hoped that I could have you in my life again.”

Damon stepped forward, cupped her face in his palms, and gently explored his lips with hers. He pulled back, a big smile on his face.

“Well then,” he concluded. “There’s finally nothing to stopping me from doing that.”

“There is one thing,” Elena said cautiously. “I’ve started seeing someone else. And, I’m not sure I’m ready to be exclusive with you just yet.”

“What?” Damon asked, looking startled. He took a step back.

“Things between you and I are so new. It can’t hurt for us to date other people for a little while, right?” 

A frown crossed Damon’s face and his body stiffened.

“Sure, I guess not,” he said, his tone flat. “Do you have feelings for him?”

“I don’t know. I sometimes have trouble separating out physical and emotional attraction.”

Damon furrowed his brow. “Who the hell is this guy?” he thought to himself. “And how can I make him go away.”

“Just kidding,” Elena said.

“What?” Damon said. “That wasn’t funny!”

“You deserved it,” Elena said sharply. “If you had bothered to stick around to try to work things out with me, I could have told you I was thinking of leaving my royal responsibilities and you could have told me that you were thinking of leaving the Royal Guard. We could have worked this through together. Last I heard, you could never dream of leaving the Royal Guard! So, you don’t get to march in here and have me just swoon all over you.”

“As if walking away from you was easy,” Damon snapped. “It was the hardest goddamn thing I’ve ever done in my life. And, no, I didn’t want to leave the Royal Guard! And, I wouldn’t have done it either if I didn’t love you so much!”

“Well, I love you too, even though you act so arrogant!” Elena retorted. “Next time, talk to me before you change your career for me!”

“Okay, I will!” Damon snapped. “But, what about you telling me about your plan? You could have let me know you were thinking of leaving.”

“It would still be risky for you to date me and remain in the Royal Guard. The king and queen are my parents after all!” Elena said. “I wasn’t sure if we stood a chance. But, you knew we had a future and you didn’t tell me!”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up if I didn’t get the position. It could have taken a year or two for me to find something else.”

“Then, I would have waited a year or two,” Elena snapped. “Do you know how miserable I’ve been the past three months?”

“Do you know how miserable I’ve been?” Damon replied. 

They paused. The ridiculousness of the disagreement struck Damon and he started chuckling. 

“So, you still love me?” Damon asked.

“Yes,” Elena responded.

“Can you say it again when you’re not yelling at me?” Damon asked.

“Can you stop giving me reason to be mad?” Elena replied. 

“You drive me crazy, you know that Elena?” Damon asked. “Okay, I’ll start. I’m still crazy in love with you. I have not been able to stop thinking about you these past three months. I don’t care what job I have as long as I can be with you.”

“And, I love you Damon. You hurt me so badly when you left. Don’t ever do that again,” Elena chastised. 

“I’ll never leave you again, I swear,” Damon promised, an intense look in his eyes.

Damon pulled Elena in for a long kiss. She ran her hand over his chest and started tugging at the buttons on his shirt. Damon caught her hand.

“Elena, my last day isn’t for two more weeks. We have be cautious before then,” Damon explained. 

“So, we’re resigned to chaste kisses?” Elena asked.

“Pretty much,” Damon replied, sighing heavily. It was going to be a long two weeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Elena held the phone with one hand and gestured for Damon to come into her office with the other. “Of course, he’s early,” Elena thought. She had never known him to be anything but punctual.

Damon strode in wearing jeans, a V-neck shirt, and a sports jacket. Elena tried to decide whether she liked him better in casual clothes or suits, but concluded that he looked equally sharp in both attire. “Focus,” Elena thought. 

“Yes,” Elena said into the phone in agreement, but she was not sure she caught all the details.

Damon pulled a lily out from behind his back and set it on her desk. Elena smiled and mouthed, “Thank you.” 

During Damon’s last two weeks in the Royal Guard, he had found ways to leave her a single lily in creative places, including on top of her parcheesi box and vanity. The flowers seemed to say, “I’m thinking of you. I can’t wait to spend more time with you.” If relationships had an official flower, the lily would be theirs.

“Focus on the call,” Elena reminded herself.

As if he could read her thoughts, Damon came closer, a devilish look on his face. He placed his hands on her shoulders and started massaging them. It felt nice and Elena wanted to relax into his touch, but she brushed off his hands. Undeterred, Damon started running his fingers through her hair. That also felt nice. He brushed her hair to the side and rubbed his lips over her neck. 

“This all sounds great, Terry,” Elena said. “I’m so sorry to cut our conversation short, but would it be okay if we picked up with this next week?”

Elena turned to Damon.

“You distracted me on purpose!” she accused.

Damon shrugged and leaned down to kiss her.

“Can you blame me for wanting to kiss you?” he replied. “I guess it’s hard when someone tries to distract you when you’re at work. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” 

“Okay, fine. You win,” Elena said, smiling.

***

Damon stood in the doorway admiring Elena. He could not believe that it had only been a year ago today that they first met. She looked so business-like in her pearls and suit jacket. Although her legs were covered by the desk, he knew she was wearing jeans. It did not matter how fancy the blouse, jacket, or heals that she sported, she always paired it with jeans.

“I guess you can get away with that when you’re the Executive Director of your own non-profit,” Damon thought. 

Elena looked so at ease in her office. It was decorated with a very light wood paneling that appeared soothing to the eye. She leaned back in her chair as she talked, as if she was born for this role. Damon placed the lily on her desk, feeling so proud of her.

He could not wait to take her out dancing. He pictured how free she looked when she was dancing. The thought made Damon want to cross to distance between them and start the date now.

***

As they got closer to the dance club, Elena’s anxiety flared. Elena nervously tapped her fingers and sighed. 

“Don’t forget about brunch with my parents tomorrow,” Elena said, snuggled into the passenger seat.

“I’m thrilled,” Damon deadpanned. 

Miranda loved Damon, but Grayson was distantly polite. Elena suspected that her father blamed Damon for her decision to leave her royal duties, although she had explained to him many times that her relationship with Damon was not the primary reason for her choice. Elena knew that her father would come around with time, but she really needed him to do it by tomorrow morning. That thought resulted in more butterflies in her stomach. 

“Are you sure there’s no paparazzi following us?” she asked.

“I shook the ones that were waiting outside of your office. But, you know how it is,” Damon shrugged his shoulders. 

Elena knew. In the four months since she had officially renounced her royal duties, the public had become fascinated by her relationship with Damon. Almost every public move was captured by tabloids and the internet. Elena grudgingly accepted the attention as a staple in the life of a former princess. However, just for tonight, she wanted more privacy. 

Elena had purposefully selected a dance club an hour outside of London because it would be less crowded. There was a view of the stars from the rooftop lounge, which she had rented out for just them. She generously tipped the owner to be discrete and to only allow in patrons who agreed to check their cellphones at the front door. 

“We could always move the dancing to my place,” Damon offered. “It’s a very exclusive club, open only to beautiful brunettes who were formerly princesses. Definitely no paparazzi there.”

“The bouncer for that club is my kind of man,” Elena said with a smile. “As tempting as that sounds, I really want to commemorate our one year anniversary of when we first met by going out. Besides, it’s not fair to you to that you can’t have a normal night on the town.”

“I’ve come to accept it,” Damon said with a shrug of his shoulders. “But, it’s not so bad to be considered 'the devilishly handsome bodyguard who stole the princess’s heart.’ ” 

Damon lifted one hand off of the steering wheel to use air quotes, paraphrasing the headlines from when they first made the tabloids.

“No, seriously Damon. Not only have you sacrificed your private life, you’ve also changed your career for me. It’s not fair to you,” she said.

“You’re worth it,” Damon said. “I’m enjoying being the big boss at the British Museum. No more night shifts for me. Besides, you left your royal responsibilities and I was part of the equation.”

“I know,” Elena said. “But, I made that decision mostly for myself. You wouldn’t have left the Royal Guard were it not for me. It’s just not fair to you.” 

“And here we are right at the beginning again. Look, if it really bothers you so much, you can try to find ways to make it up to me,” Damon said, with an exaggerated wiggle of his eyebrows.

“I’ve already tried that,” Elena said with a laugh.

“Oh yes you have. But, there’s no harm in repeated effort,” Damon quipped.

***

Elena’s worries slipped away when they found themselves on the dance floor. Not even the stares of the other club goers bothered her. Damon had been teaching her salsa and she just learned the hammerlock flip, a dance move involving some artful spins through their crisscrossed arms. Damon led her with such confidence that it made it easier to learn the new move. 

“I did it!” Elena exclaimed at the end of the dance.

“Yes, you did,” Damon replied, pulling her in for a kiss. This only made the gawking intensify, but Elena did not care. It was worth it to be openly affectionate in public. 

“Now, how about a pint?” Damon asked.

“You know me all too well,” Elena replied. Her new obsession for a pint paled only in comparison to her love of jeans.

When Damon returned, she was ready with their jackets.

“Come on, I’ve got to show you something,” she said.

Up on the rooftop lounge, they gazed at the stars. 

“This is beautiful,” Damon said. “You know, scientists say that humans are made up of stardust. Our bodies have the same elements as the stars.”

“I remember hearing that somewhere,” Elena replied. “Thinking about it makes me feel insignificant and magical all at the same time.”

Elena shivered from the cool, March air and Damon pulled her closer to him.

“Maybe we should go back downstairs and warm you up,” he said.

“No, wait,” she said. “I have something I want to say first. You make me so happy.”

“You also make me happy, gorgeous,” he said. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a long, thin box. “I got you a little something for our anniversary.”

“Thank you,” Elena said, opening the box to reveal a silver necklace with a sapphire pendent.

“I love it! It matches your eyes,” Elena exclaimed. “Would you put it on me?” 

Damon brushed her hair aside and worked on the clasp. Elena turned toward him and absent-mindedly fiddled with the pendent.

“There’s only one thing that could make tonight even more special,” she said.

“What’s that?” Damon asked.

“You know that I love you? That I always want to be with you?” Elena asked.

Damon nodded. They had talked about their future together many times, including marriage and kids.

“I’m so excited to marry you. So, can we make it official tonight? Will you marry me?” she asked.

Damon pulled her in for a long kiss.

“You know I will,” he concluded, kissing her again.

“Yes!” Elena shouted over the edge of the building, to nobody in particular. She hugged him, then started dancing around with excitement. 

“I love you so much! I can’t wait to marry you!” she exclaimed.

Damon smiled, soaking in her elation. 

“You know, I was going to pop the question on our trip to Sussex in May,” he said.

“Well, then, we can do this all over again in May if you want!” she replied, still jubilant.

“I have an idea,” Damon replied. “I’m going to surprise you once I have the ring. Hopefully, you won’t see it coming.”

“Okay,” Elena agreed. “I think I found inspiration for the ring.” 

Damon had been asking her questions about what she might want in a wedding ring for the past two months, and Elena could not give him a straight answer. She only knew what she did not want: no diamonds and nothing flashy.

“I would like a sapphire ring!” Elena exclaimed. “It will match my necklace and remind me of your eyes.”

“Consider it done,” Damon replied. “We have some shopping to do tomorrow.”

Elena observed how his eyes twinkled.

“You’re definitely made of stardust,” Elena concluded. “I can see the stars dancing in your eyes.”

***

Damon loved watching Elena sleep. Her long hair splayed out over the pillow and covered half her face. Dark eyelashes hung down over her cheeks. Every once in a while she snorted, but he found even that endearing. It was a shame to wake her. Damon placed her tea on the bedside and nuzzled her neck. They had a full day of activities planned while they were in Sussex. 

“Wake up fiancé,” he said.

“Don’t want to,” Elena mumbled as she rolled over.

“The sunrise is going to be so beautiful,” Damon replied.

The clock read 4:50 a.m. They had agreed to walk down to Camber Sands by 5 a.m. so that they could watch the sunrise and enjoy the beach without any watchful eyes.

“Don’t care,” Elena replied.

Damon sighed, threw back the covers, and picked her up.

“I’m going to turn the shower nozzle on you if you’re not ready in 5 minutes,” he joked.

Down at the beach, Elena started to wake up. The sky was painted a soft shade of pink and the waves crashed rhythmically on the sand.

“It is beautiful,” Elena commented. “I’m glad you didn’t let me back out.”

“I wouldn’t let you miss it,” Damon replied, curling his fingers around the sapphire ring in his pocket. 

“What’s that?” Damon said, pointing ahead to a spot on the sand.

Damon raked through the sand with his fingers. 

“Look what I found!” he exclaimed, holding up the ring.

Elena got closer to examine his discovery and Damon grabbed her hand. Still on one knee, he spoke the words he had practiced:

“Every time the moon and stars come out, I want to watch them with you. Every time the sun rises or sets, I want you next to me,” he said. “Whatever the day, month, or season, I just want to be with you. When you look at this ring, I want you to know that I love you, not for what you are, but for who you are. Will you marry me?”

Tears were running down Elena’s cheeks. “Yes!” she exclaimed and started laughing and crying at the same time, overcome with emotion.

Elena jumped in his lap. Damon could care less that he was getting sand all over him. They sat there for a long time, gushing about their happiness and watching the sunrise.

“Were you surprised?” Damon asked, nuzzling her hair.

Elena nodded, absentmindedly running her fingers over his knuckles.

“You made me wait so long,” she said. “I thought I was going to have to wait even longer. You said you weren’t going to propose in Sussex!”

“Diversion tactic,” he replied. “Plus, I could not come up with a more perfect setting. The beauty of the ocean and sunrise stir feelings in me almost as deep as the ones I have for you.”

Damon looked at Elena’s bright eyes. She looked so radiant and happy.

“You may see the stars in my eyes, but I see the sunshine in yours,” he said with a wink.

***

“Elena, what are you doing?” Damon asked.

Elena walked out of the hotel bathroom wearing black trousers and a black blouse. Her hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing sunglasses. They were still in Sussex, enjoying the last of their holiday.

“Your Highness, there has been a security breach. You need to come with me for your safety,” she ordered. 

Damon’s lips curved up, but he mocked seriousness.

“Of course. I would never defy your orders because I know you are brilliant and only doing what is necessary to keep me safe.”

Elena grabbed his hand and led him into the bathroom.

“You need to take off your clothes,” she ordered.

Damon’s eyebrows shot up. How was she going to integrate this into her story?

“I’ll need to strip down too. We’re changing into disguises so we can evacuate without being recognized.” 

She motioned toward the two bathrobes hanging from the back of the door. Points for creativity. He did not dare to tell her that her plot had no basis in reality. He began pulling his t-shirt above his head. Meanwhile, Elena took off her sunglasses. She pulled the tie out of her hair, allowing her long locks to cascade down her back. Next, she tore open her blouse and buttons went flying everywhere, revealing a red, lace bra. Holy shit.

“You’re not moving fast enough,” she barked. “They’re coming.”

“Maybe you can help me?” Damon asked. “I’m too nervous to move quickly.”

“Fine,” Elena said. Roughly pulling off his trousers and knickers, “accidentally” grazing her hand across his cock on the way back up. She deliberately rubbed her lace-clad breasts against his chest as she reached for the robe.

She stripped off her trousers, revealing a matching red, lace thong. Elena knew that Damon loved nothing more than red lace on her. It offset her olive skin and dark hair beautifully. Plus, it was sexy as hell. 

“This won’t do,” she said, eying him up and down. “You look too nervous. You’ll never get away with your disguise looking like that. I guess I’ll have to help soothe you.”

She sighed dramatically and dropped to her knees. She began furiously sucking on his cock, not even trying to be gentle. Damon didn’t mind. It felt great. Before long, a moan escaped his mouth.

“Shhh!” she chastised. “You can’t make a sound. You could get yourself killed!”

“Of course,” Damon thought, “because clearly you would be giving me head in some type of life-or-death scenario where making noise is prohibited.”

“Prince Damon, I’m just trying to do my job, but you’re making it awfully hard,” she reprimanded. Elena handed him some balled up socks from the counter. “These are clean. It might help if you bit down on them instead of making noise.”

Now she wanted him to shove socks into his mouth? Bring it on. Damon refused to take the socks in his hand. He just eyed her with a glint in his eye and opened his mouth, daring her to do it herself. She put just the very edge of the socks in his mouth.

“That okay?” she asked. He nodded, waiting to see what she would do next.

She took his cock into her mouth again, vigorously sucking once more until she was driving him crazy. He knew she was waiting for him to make a sound so she could chastise him again, but he was going to win at this little game. Damon threw his head back and bit down on the sock. He griped the towel bar. But, he did not moan. Probably because she realized that he was not going to surrender, she changed tactics.

“Your nerves are rubbing off on me,” Elena chastised. “I need you to listen very carefully to my instructions because this is a matter of national security, Your Highness. I’m going to bend over the sink and I need you to take me from behind. Don’t bother to take off my knickers. We don’t have time for that. Just push them aside and give it to me hard and fast so I can calm down and get us both out of here safely. It might help if you keep the sock in your mouth so you don’t make too much noise.”

Damon nodded. This was his chance to beat her at her own game. He was going to drive her crazy and make her scream. Damon quickly pushed her knickers aside. He gently caressed her with his finger and found her already wet for him. He had barely touched her. This little role play was turning her on. He thrust into his cock into her hard and fast. With one hand, he worked her clitoris and, with the other, he began rubbing her nipples. She was about to scream. He could see it coming. 

“Stop!” she ordered. “I don’t recall giving you permission to touch me in any other way. That’s really quite unprofessional of you, Your Highness. I’m just trying to do my job here and you’re taking advantage of my proximity to you.”

Damon pulled the sock out of his mouth. “I’m sorry, my brave bodyguard. I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

“You can try again to calm both of us down, but this time do not stray from my direct orders,” Elena commanded.

“Yes, I find this to be such a calming activity,” Damon deadpanned. 

He drove himself into her again, this time placing his hands on the counter instead of on her. She knew this was not a fair challenge as he would come much more easily than her from this position. The mirror in front of them made it even more erotic. Damon felt an orgasm build inside of him. He was getting close. He bit his lip. There was no way that he could stay quiet once his release came. 

“Stop!” she ordered again. “I feel calmer now and you’re a little better. We need to move. Now!”

She instructed him to pull his robe closed while she put hers on. She led him to the bed.

“We’ve made our escape now,” Elena declared. “There’s just one problem.” She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “We’re posing as a newly engaged couple and the owner of the Inn is suspicious of us. They’re watching this room. We need to have mind-blowing sex to convince them that our cover is real.”

Damon had lost count of the technical errors in her story, but he really did not care. He could save the talk about how security really works for another day.

“So, I get to touch you now?” he whispered back, hopefully.

“No,” she whispered. “This is my job and it would be highly unprofessional of you to touch me. It’s best if you let me control it so I only do what is comfortable for me.”

Damon nodded. “And what about my comfort level?” he whispered back.

Elena arched her eyebrows.

“Really, Prince Damon, you’re playing coy now?” she whispered. “You’ve tried to seduce me so many times that I’ve lost count. Do you not want me anymore?”

“No, I want you,” Damon corrected. “But, I only want you if I can make you come.”

“Fine,” she relented. “One time. But, we have to do it right at the beginning so I can get it over with.”

“Two times,” Damon countered. “I’m fine with letting you ‘get it over with’ first.” 

“Okay,” she agreed. “One more thing: We can only call each other ‘baby’ or ‘fiancé’ during the act because I don’t want us to slip up and forget the names we’re using for our cover.”

“Okay, baby,” Damon said loudly. “Let’s celebrate our engagement.”

He threw her down on the bed and started kissing the length of her torso. He quickly stripped her of her robe, bra, and knickers. He brought his hands up to her breasts, massaging them while simultaneously bringing his mouth down to her clitoris. His mouth locked onto the bundle of nerves and sucked and flicked it relentlessly. It only took a minute before Elena was trembling and falling over the edge.

“Oh yes! Oh, baby! Give it to me,” she demanded. She arched up and a small scream escaped her lips.

As her hips fell back onto the mattress, Damon’s tongue found her clitoris once more. He was more gentle now, giving her some time to recover. He licked her slowly and softly. When she seemed ready for more, he increased his pace and force. She easily fell over the edge again. Her legs started trembling. She tugged on his hair and used a pillow to stifle a scream.

Damon decided to go for a third. She was so easy to please right now that he had no doubt he could make it happen. He lowered his head once more.

“Stop!” Elena commanded. She tried to give him a harsh look, but she was too blissed out to do it successfully.

Damon relented and moved back up the bed. Pulling her into him for some cuddles. Once Elena recovered, she pushed him onto his back and threw his arms over his head.

“Remember, no touching, fiancé,” she ordered. She slipped off his robe and stroked his cock with her hands. Then, she got on top of him and rode him hard. Damon enjoyed watching how her breasts bobbed above him with each movement. Just when he thought that he could no longer take it, she stopped. 

“Just taking a little break, fiancé,” she said, deliberately wriggling her hips.

She turned around and rode him hard backwards, giving him a prime view of her pert, little ass. She knew that he loved this position. He wanted to grab her ass, but she had told him not to touch her and he was going to play by the rules. This little game of hers was fun. All coherent thoughts were wiped from his mind as an orgasm seized his body. Holy shit. He felt like he was going to pass out. Damon lay motionless on the bed and Elena curled up beside him.

“The threat has passed now,” she assured him. 

“For now,” Damon cautioned. “But, I think there might be more danger tomorrow. The prince is going to get captured and the only way he can escape is by using his sexual prowess to give his captor multiple orgasms. The captor will become delirious with pleasure, giving the prince his opportunity to escape.”

Elena gave a fake sigh. “Your scenarios are so unrealistic.”


	12. Chapter 12

Damon and Elena’s wedding was an elaborate affair. At least, that is what they let everyone else believe. King Grayson and Queen Miranda insisted on hosting the wedding at Windsor Castle. Elena wore a gown with a four-foot train and a lace veil that was just as long. Damon dressed in his uniform. The day was televised and over two billion people watched. 

Damon and Elena referred to that wedding as their “fake wedding.” Their “real wedding” was an intimate affair in a garden. Elena’s sapphire necklace and engagement ring were her “something blue.” They wrote their own vows and Damon was the first to cry. Afterwards, the guests danced under the stars. 

As they danced, Elena wrapped her arms firmly around Damon’s neck and Damon could not stop smiling.

“They’re getting along well,” Elena said, gesturing in the direction of their best man and maid of honor. Stefan and Caroline had been dancing together all night. Caroline had just rested her cheek on Stefan’s shoulder. 

“My brother looks smitten,” Damon replied. “I’m glad. He deserves to be happy.”

“And what about you?” Elena asked. “How happy are you?”

Damon fixed an intense gaze on her. 

“I think my heart expanded today because I did not realize it could hold this much happiness.” 

***

“We have to celebrate,” Elena squealed into the phone. “I just got some great news at work. Any chance you could get out of work a little early?” 

Elena decided that her lie was justifiable because she needed a decoy.

“I think that could be arranged,” Damon replied. “Just let me check a few things. Would it work for me to be home by 5 p.m.?”

“Great!” Elena chirped.

She soon located a personal chef and made arrangements for a romantic evening. Elena wanted privacy and reasoned that, if they could not go to a restaurant and expect privacy, she would bring the restaurant to them.

Damon got home exactly at 5 p.m. and handed her a bouquet of lilies.

“You look stunning,” he commented.

“Thank you,” Elena replied.

She was wearing her sapphire necklace, a black frock, and court shoes.

“Even though we’re staying in, I wanted to be fancy, as though we were going out,” she replied.

“For you to actually want to be fancy, this must be really great news,” Damon said. “Does this have anything to do with your Goodwill Ambassador role for the UN? Did they finally schedule your trip to Africa?”

“No, that actually may need to be postponed,” she replied. “I’ll tell you more about it over dinner.”

Elena set the table with a lace table cloth and candles. She arranged for the chef to leave shortly after she served the entrée so she and Damon could be alone.

“This looks beautiful, baby,” Damon said. “So, what’s the big news?”

“You know how you say that you can see the sunshine in my eyes? Well, I think someone else is about to become the center of your universe. I’m pregnant!”

Damon first looked shocked, then smiled shakily as his eyes got misty. At a loss for words, he rounded the table to her and pulled her in for a long hug.

***

Damon cuddled his son in his arms, looking down at him adoringly. He looked both angelic and ridiculous in his little, white dinner jacket and hat. He was alert at 3 months old, looking up at Damon with big, blue eyes that reminded him of the color of the Mediterranean Sea. 

“We’re going to let the minister believe that you really are this sweet. But, we both know the truth of your devilish ways,” Damon tsked.

Grayson Alaric Salvatore was just starting to grow out of his colic. For most of the past two months, he screamed at his parents for at least an hour around the time for high tea and then another three hours in the middle of the night.

“What am I doing wrong?” Damon had wondered. He noticed that Elena looked so desperate for sleep and he wanted to fix the problem. But, Gray tumbled into their life determined to teach them who really was the boss. Damon became obsessed with researching colic. His analytical mind could not understand how modern medicine lacked a solution. He tried everything, including baby massages, natural remedies for gas relief, and different ways to hold Gray. Damon cursed the author of Happiest Baby on the Block after trying to put Gray in the equivalent of a strait jacket and bounce in his arms while making guttural noises with his throat, to no avail. He wondered whether it was all a ruse for new parents to make fools out of themselves. 

Just when Damon thought he would lose his mind around 4 a.m., Gray would inevitably fall back to sleep, looking sweet with his lips curled outward, occasionally making sucking motions.

“It’s a good thing you’re so cute,” Damon would scold him. “Or else I’d have some serious qualms with you.”

Damon’s reverie was broken by a thwack on the back.

“You’re one lucky son of a bitch,” Alaric said. “Can I hold my godson now?”

“I just got him back to sleep after the holy water startled him. Let’s give it a few more minutes,” Damon replied.

“Sure,” Alaric quipped. “I’ll be prying him out of your arms two hours from now.”

Jenna lightly tapped Alaric on the shoulder. 

“While we’re waiting, how about if we talk about how we’ll work together as godparents? The first topic of conversation could be not swearing in church.”

“Uh oh, looks like I’m in trouble,” Alaric replied, with a smile on his face. “I must warn you that shaping me into an acceptable godfather is going to take multiple conversations. You sure you up for the challenge?” 

Alaric linked his arm through Jenna’s and they walked away.

***

“I had cake for breakfast!” Gray excitedly squealed as he ran across the hospital room. His dark hair framed his shining blue eyes.

“Yes, and it shows,” Elena replied form the hospital bed, looking over at Damon quizzically.

“Rough morning,” Damon replied. Dark circles loomed under his eyes and stubble dotted his jawline.

“Gray, come here,” Damon said. “We want to introduce you to your little sister.”

Gray instead inspected all the objects in the room. His 2-year-old mind was fascinated by the medical equipment and uninterested in the baby in his mother’s arms.

“How are my girls doing?” Damon asked. He simultaneously ran his lips across Elena’s forehead and stroked Grace’s cheek.

“Doing great,” Elena replied. 

“Let me get a look at her!” Jenna squealed as she burst into the room. 

“Everyone decent in here?” Alaric asked, hanging back.

Jenna tugged at Alaric’s elbow, pulling him into the room before they got an answer. They had been married for six months, but acted like an old, married couple. 

“Gray was a doll last night. He loved staying with his Aunt Jenna and Uncle Ric. Damon insisted on feeding him breakfast before we left for the hospital,” Jenna said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Damon.

Damon held up his hands in mock surrender. 

“I wanted to make my famous pancakes. I thought I had the energy despite my night of no sleep on that awful hospital chair. But, then I saw the cake right there . . . ”

“You were efficient. The military taught you well,” Alaric said, patting Damon on the back.

***

“The tickle monster is going to get you if you do not get your shoes on right now,” Damon threatened as Gray took ages to put on his trainers.

Elena ran after Grace with her jacket in tow, but she scurried off. Grace’s brown eyes lit up every time she evaded her mum. 

“You would think we were punishing them by taking them to the park,” Elena commented. “I thought it was supposed to get easier when Gray turned 4. That’s what all the other mums said.”

“Babe, I don’t think it’s ever going to get easier,” Damon replied.

“My teddy!” exclaimed Grace, when they were at the door.

Elena sighed, paused for a moment as if she were going to deny then request, then handed her the teddy bear.

Damon’s eyebrows shot up. Just last month she had chastised him after he allowed Gray to take his favorite stuffed bunny to the park. Gray inevitably lost it and Damon spent the better part of an hour retracing their steps before he found it.

“Alright, I’m a hypocrite,” Elena said to Damon with a smile. “I just want to get going without a meltdown.”

Gray and Grace played happily at the park, looking like little cherubs as they bounced from one piece of equipment to the next. Grace protectively hugged her teddy bear into her chest with one arm and tried to navigate the playground one handedly.

Damon slipped his arm around Elena and pulled her close.

“You would never know that they torture us behind closed doors,” he quipped.

Elena laughed knowingly.

“This still the life you dreamed of?” Elena said. “Feeling exhausted as two children run circles around you?” 

Damon surveyed the situation. Grace was the spitting image of her mum. She was furiously gripping her teddy bear while skipping across the playground. Damon recalled seeing a similar image of Elena on the television when he was a kid. Such happiness had seemed surreal to him back then. 

“No,” Damon replied. “It’s even better than what I dreamed of because it’s real.”


End file.
